Green Fuel denied its workforce the opportunity to vote

As most Zimbabweans bask in the glory of having casted their votes yesterday, it is a different story to the more than 350 workers from Green Fuel in Chisumbanje who were apparently denied their right to vote. 

Green Fuel flagrantly violated both the Zimbabwean Constitution and the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) and its relevant gazetted laws when it did not heed the government decision to make 30 July a public holiday to allow people to vote but instead remained operational while denying its workers an opportunity to go and participate in the polls.

  

This report is based on reliable sources within the network of PYD’s local election observers, citizen journalist and gender activists that are dotted around the Chipinge district. 

The company took away their right to vote and subsequently deprived them of power, rights and privileges after it ordered that the workers were not to leave their workstations but continue working despite the fact that the day was declared a national holiday.

When certain segments of our community are deprived of their right to vote, PYD notes it as both regrettable and retrogressive. PYD is of the strong opinion that every citizen counts as partial authors of the law through voting for representative to the corridors of power.

Green Fuel’s justification in denying its workforce the opportunity to participate in processes of national importance hinges explicitly on defining the workforce as only productive labour and not as citizens with inalienable rights. 

The move by the Green Fuel management is a huge blow to community building and social cohesion, as the workforce are the key stakeholders of community development. Allowing the workforce to cast their vote, gives them a broader spectrum of civic responsibilities to shape the reality within their community. 

PYD is very much concerned that a company that has enjoyed a protective legal framework from the government has failed to respect such an important national process that only comes once after every five years. 

Government has even gone to the extent of coming up with legislation that promoted mandatory blending, a move that was designed to benefit Green Fuel and it is in the same spirit they were supposed to respect events of national importance like elections.

PYD wishes to remind Green Fuel that voting is one of the most fundamental civic duties any citizen can perform and to deny them is tantamount to slavery. Workers have rights too.

PYD also believes that it is vital for every citizen to vote regardless of their social status and/or work position. This clearly indicates that Green Fuel still underestimate the value of a worker in any setting.

#MugangaWedu2018