Green fuel Security guard shoots to kill in Chisumbanje

Own Correspondent

A Green FUEL security guard last week shot three villagers, who were stealing sugar cane, killing one of them in the process.

The guard, Bornface Shungwa (47) of Giri Village in Chivhu has since been arrested in connection with the shooting of the villagers and appeared in court on Monday facing murder charges.

Shungwa who was employed as a security guard at Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant was not asked to plead when he appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mr Noah Gwatidzo facing murder charges as defined in Section 47 (a) of Criminal
Law (Codification and Reforms) Act, Chapter 9:13.

He was not asked to plead and the matter was remanded to July 4. Mr Gwatidzo advised him to apply for bail at the High Court as he was facing a serious offence. Shungwa is represented by Mr Langton Mhungu of Matutu, Kwirira and Associates.

Prosecuting, Mr Regis Mawarire told the court that on June 15, at Block J10, Macdom Sugar Plantations in Chisumbanje, Shungwa who was on guard duties armed with a Pietro Berretta shot gun, serial number A20045E fired three shots to scare away several unidentified people who had invaded the plantation to steal sugarcane.

"The accused accidentally killed Itayi Chikwasha Matevere, a male adult aged 35 on the spot.

"He slightly injured a female adult aged 23 on the nose and a male adult, Jairos Mapopo (19) on the lower left arm.
The three were stealing sugarcane.

"The late Matevere was shot in the chest from a distance of 60 meters . When Shungwa committed the crime he was in the company of his workmate, Laughter Garaudzo who was armed with a catapult," said Mr Mawarire

After shooting the three, Shungwa called for transport from his superiors to ferry the injured to hospital. His superiors swiftly responded and took Matevere's body to Chisumbanje Police Station.

"Post mortem was carried out on June 17 at Chipinge District Hospital and its findings were that the cause of Matevere's death was a result of bullet holes in his heart and lungs," he said.

When asked by the magistrate if he was the one who had fired the fatal shot, Shungwa admitted and said: "Your Worship, yes it is true that I told the investigating officers of this matter that I fired the shots to scare away people who were stealing sugarcane. Accidentally I shot three people who were hiding in the sugarcane field."

Chipinge youths embarrass Zanu PF councilor

Own Correspondent

A Zanu PF Councilor for ward 26 in Chipinge, Misheck Busangavanye was on Saturday left with an egg on the face after youths attending a poultry production workshop at Chisumbanje Primary thwarted his efforts to hijack the program.

More than one hundred youths attending Indigenous Poultry production training resisted Busangavanye attempt to hijack the workshop saying it had nothing to do with partisan politics but their livelihood.

Wedzerai Gwenzi who was part of workshop said youths who were in attendance openly told Busangavanye that the project was meant to benefit every young person regardless of political affiliation.

Gwenzi added that sensing that his plan had not yielded results, Busangavanye tried to rally state security apparatus to stop the workshop by lying that it was a political party meeting but that did not work.

“I am shocked that a community leader at the level of a ward councilor is intolerant to accommodate projects meant to benefit the community” said Gwenzi.

Gwenzi’s views were echoed by the Director of Platform for Youth Development, Claris Madhuku who reiterated that he is not bemused by the behavior exhibited by ZANU PF politicians as they have always been against development and empowerment of youths whom they want to remain impoverished so that they can manipulate them come elections time.

“We have been struggling to convince most people aligned to ZANU PF for them to understand that community projects are more successful if they are free from partisan politics and interference.

“I want to applaud the young people who were at the workshop for protecting the project against malice and narrow partisan politics .I am encouraged that young people in Chipinge are beginning to heed the message of shunning politics in favor of Sustainable community development,” said Madhuku.

The training workshop attracted participants from all the six wards of Chipinge South constituency as well as other professionals including teachers, nurses and AREX Officers.

The workshop was part of the series of training workshops lined up for the community through the leadership of Platform for Youth Development (PYD). PYD has realized that young people who are the majority of the poor in communities would need to invest in sustainable agriculture to fight poverty.

The combative youth grouping famous for taking Green Fuel head on, has successfully worked to transform the livelihood of many young people who are engaging is sustainable agriculture including backyard gardening, chicken rearing and fish harvesting.

Chipinge Youths challenged to defend their communities from economic manipulation

Young people who participated in a cleanup campaign organized by the Platform for Youth Development were challenged to take up leadership and defend their parents and in particular natural resources found in their local communities

While addressing the initial group of young people who kick started the cleanup campaign at the PYD offices at Checheche Growth Point, the PYD Director, Claris Madhuku pleaded with young people to be patriotic and identify with natural resources found in their local communities.

“When the voice of the young people is organized beyond petty political divides it will become strong enough for the government to listen,” said Madhuku.

The PYD Director encouraged the young people to be organized and raise their voice under the platform provided by PYD to act and make things happen

Jack Zaba, Programmes Manager at Election Resource Centre (ERC) implored the youths to be assertive. Giving him solidarity speech during the colorful road show, Zaba encouraged youths to demand accountability and transparency from their elected leadership.

He explained that it was the electorate who has more power and influence than elected leaders.

“Leaders are elected by the people, therefore the same elected leaders cannot be bigger than the people who elected them,” said Zaba.

While acknowledging the reality that some elected leaders are too powerful and want to behave like bus conductors who are in charge in their constituencies, Jack Zaba provoked young people to get skills that allow themselves to prevail over such situations.

‘Young people can only be powerful if they are resourceful and continuously look for new information that protects the vulnerable and weak members of the community” said Zaba.

Terence Maoneke, the Youth Secretary for the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) condemned economic violence. His message was aimed at the government of Zimbabwe to improve on its human rights record and drafting economic policies meant to provide better opportunities to young people.

“The failure by government to work diligently to implement ZIMASSET has exposed young people to partisanship where they have become agents of grand corruption,” said Maoneke.

He applauded the young people in Chisumbanje and Chinyamukwakwa for making use of PYD created platforms to resist economic manipulation before challenging young people to be politically active and demand accountability from their government.

Unathi Kewuti of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) challenged the youth to take up community leadership by being responsible citizens who promote peace.

“If young people demand peace in their collective diversity, the world leaders will be compelled to commit their energy to development and progress as opposed to organized violence against opposition,” noted Kewuti.

He took advantage of the occasion to launch a petition to be signed by young people as a show of commitment to international law on the cessation of war

The cleanup campaign and road show organized by the Platform for Youth Development made very strong statements against all forms of violence that have social, economic and political consequences. The objective of the cleanup was to raise consciousness on the young people to be responsible citizens with ability to co-exist with their environment. Key messaging was the defense of natural resources and condemnation of violence.

Inserted by the PYD Information Department

For more details contact the PYD Director on +263 773010 331 or

 PYD Board Chair on +263 772 896 458

Chipinge youths petitions the United Nations to adopt the International law on World Peace

More than 20000 young people in Chipinge and Manicaland are expected to sign a petition for the implementation of the International Law on the Cessation of War and the Achievement of World Peace. This process kicked off at Checheche Growth Point during the cleanup and road show organized by the Platform for Youth Development Truston the 7^th of May 2016. On the first day, 267 youths signed the petition and the process is going ahead until we get to 20 000 signatures. Unathi Kewuti from the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) who attended the clean-up campaign at Checheche Growth Point launched the petition signing process.

IPYG (International Peace Youth Group) is a youth organization working for world peace and uniting all international youths. IPYG was formed by groups of youths who came together with same idea of peace across cultures, languages, borders and nationalities. Many youths groups from across the world including Platform for Youth Development have joined and become IPYG members. According to Unathi Kewuthi (IPYG representative to Zimbabwe) who travelled all the way from South Africa, the youths are so powerful and energetic so they should use their energy and numbers to make a collective demand forsustainable peace. He urged young people to refuse to fight against one another as a statement in the face of world leaders who survive on their war credentials sustained by youths.

The cleanup campaign and road show organized by the Platform for Youth Development made very strong statements against all forms of violence that have social, economic and political consequences. The objective of the cleanup was to raise consciousness on the young people to be responsible citizens with ability to co exist with their environment. Key messaging was the defense of natural resources and condemnation of violence.

Platform for Youth Development Trust has battled with violence since 2008 when Zimbabwe experienced monumental political violence that left many communities in Chipinge destroyed mainly by the hand of the young people at the instigation of politicians. The Presidential runoff experienced in June 2008 led to many homesteads burnt and communities divided on their political choices. Since then PYD has worked closely with organizations like the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Heal Zimbabwe to set up Peace Clubs aimed at making a bold statement against violence.

 According to PYD Director, Mr. Claris Madhuku, PYD is a platform created for young people to meet and discuss issues of livelihood as a strategy for coexistence and to limit cases of any forms of violence. “Our road show and cleanup campaign attracted young people found in churches, schools and out of school and in particular those in political parties because of their importance in challenging acts of violence. We are very clear that young people in political parties are the biggest proponents of violence due to partisanship and intolerance” Madhuku said.

“As a community based organization, PYD is committed to address all forms of violence that goes beyond those sponsored by the state. Domestic violence such as rape and physical battering of women by men has been on the increase making our communities unsafe for women”  Cynthia Gwenzi who is the  PYD Gender and Advocacy Officer reiterated.

Inserted by the PYD Information Department

For more details contact the PYD Director on +263 773010 331 or

 PYD Board Chair on +263 772 896 458

New fees regime for EIA process an opportunity for Green Fuel to comply

The recent proclamation by Environmental Management Agency (EMA) on the reduction of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) fees from 3percent to less than 1 percent of the total project cost is a perfect opportunity for us to remind Green Fuel of the need to go public about their EIA processes.

We are very much alive to the fact that the company has perfected the art of brushing off criticism from the public and the local community but it should be noted that this issue is too serious to be brushed off considering the alleged hazardous consequences of polluting community water sources by effluent from ethanol production.

Green Fuel claims that they have complied with the legislative requirement of the EIA before the inception of the ethanol project in 2009.

The Environmental Impact Assessment involves evaluating both positive and negative environmental consequences of a project. An EIA is a planning tool used to identify, predict and assess potential impacts, either negative or positive, that may arise from planned projects and come up with ways to minimize negative impacts and enhance positive ones. In Zimbabwe, all projects listed in the first schedule of the Environmental Management Act are called prescribed activities and should undergo the EIA process before implementation

As was highlighted by EMA Education and Publicity Manager Steady Kangata on ZBC News recently, investors should now find it easy to fulfill the legislative requirement to undergo the EIA process.

Platform for Youth Development Trust has observed that most investors have either not fulfilled this legislative requirement or have not made their reports public citing high costs involved in the process.

The Chisumbanje Ethanol project has torched the eye of a storm due to the alleged pollution that prompted stakeholders including PYD to demand the ethanol project to make available their EIA report.

EMA has previously noted that Green Fuel has allegedly been avoiding the EIA process, opting for a cheaper route of polluting and paying fine than to fulfill the legislative requirements of carrying out EIA processes.

PYD therefore believes that the Environmental Impact Assessment on Chisumbanje Ethanol project still remains outstanding. It is also pertinent for Green Fuel to be open about its processes as a way of building trust and professionalism which they currently need more than anything.  Gone should be the days when the company conducts its business in secret because the outcomes of their secret processes have often affected people as witnessed by the various reports of death of livestock linked to affluent water from the ethanol plant.

Inserted by the PYD Information Department

For more details contact PYD Director on 263 773 010 331 or PYD Board Chairperson 263 772 896 458