After years of economic plunder, pillaging
coupled with an uncontrollable economic meltdown, Agricultural Rural
Development Authority (ARDA) finally collapsed. The main business entity that
brought life to the sleepy Checheche Growth Point and the surrounding areas
could no longer operate causing so much suffering to the locals who had become
dependent on it for survival.
In the process, vast employment and
business opportunities were lost plunging hundreds of people back into the village
without alternative source of living. The grief was not to last long as rumours
of a new gigantic investor started filtering the whole community like wind
sending screams of joy for the restoration of survival means.
The new investor only discovered
later to be Macdom Investments under the banner of Green Fuel entered into an agreement
with the ailing ARDA to construct an ethanol plant at the latter’s premises. The
harsh landing of ARDA had resulted in tragic loss of so many opportunities that
came with the presence of a key economic driving company.
The new investor was oozing with
promises of economic recovery, employment and community development which the
locals been deprived of since the demise of ARDA. The locals never took time to
accept that the government had done a fairly good job in awarding Chisumbanje
with a big investment of that magnitude. In the midst of joy, news spread like
a virus, ‘Macdom Investments wanted to take over all the community land since
the 5000ha from ARDA was not enough to match the capacity of the built machine.’
Confusion become rife in the
community with some accepting that big projects like bio-fuel business will
bring more benefits that the small pieces of land lost. Some were convinced
that they were being treated unfairly. Cheap fuel to the community and the
country at large, eco-friendliness and ability to generate employment formed
part of the strong points scored against the vulnerable locals who started
seeing perennial hunger and poverty looming.
Promises of small irrigation
plots were heard but no clear communication from the company or any of its
representatives were available to substantiate the fact. The idea appeared
noble since drought and hunger had taken deep roots in the community. Many
thought a saviour had come in the form of Green Fuel and no reasonable human
being would turn down such a God given privilege.
Pressure was coming from all
angles for the locals to accept the coming of Green Fuel as a key development
in the area. Determination to remain masters of their own destiny won the
contest and the locals continued to fight for their land. They were resolved to
fight for justice and never to accept something that is not mutually beneficial.
The company and former land owners ARDA were communication differently further
complicating and reducing the whole issue into some episodic drama.
The project scored reasonable
points against a hostile community but along the way lost some valuable marks
because in the midst of proving their worthiness, tragic scenes never stopped
happening in the community. After the machine started operating, villagers woke
to the news that livestock, fish and frogs had died in one of the local rivers
where the wastes from the machine were being disposed into.
Firstly the company prioritized
people from other districts ahead of locals in employment opportunities. This
angered the locals who lost trust in the capacity of the investor to help them
overcome an almost looming poverty. The company had promised that in return for
lost land locals were prioritized for employment opportunities and this proved
that the company was preaching the gospel they were not willing to live.
In addition the investor was not
forthcoming in terms of helping resolve some of the community problems like helping
social service providers like schools and clinics in meeting their goals in the
face of limited resources. This portrayed an investor who was only concerned in
amassing wealth without giving back to the community.
No proper consultations were made
between the company and the community leadership inclusive of chiefs, headman,
Member of Parliament and Councillors and this has led to confrontational
scenarios and for a company as big Green Fuel and serious as much as portray,
lack of basic communication procedures shrouds the whole investment into clouds
of suspicion and up to date no one from the local community and Zimbabwe at
large really understands what the company intends to do and how it operates.
This has reduced the value and
trust local communities had on the investor giving the latter a mountainous
task to make sure that they convince the locals to share the same goal and
agenda so that they work together to ensure that the relationship is mutually
beneficial typical of the time ARDA was in operational.
No comments:
Post a Comment