By Sifelani Murambiwa.
Zimbabwe, Masvingo. – (News Of The South) – More than 21 000 employees of Tongaat Hullets Zimbabwe are set to lose jobs after war veterans in Masvingo Province on Sunday agreed to launch another invasion at the company’s sugarcane plantations.
The grieving former freedom fighters said they want Tongaat Hullets to be reduced to a mere sugarcane processor whilst they occupy its estimated 29 000 hectares of sugarcane plantations.
The development comes barely a few months after more than 600 war veterans were arrested and jailed after they occupied the company’s fields which did not go well with the government.
War Vets and their children flanked by War Collaborators and Ex-detainees gathered in Chiredzi at Tshovani Stadium to air their grievances whilst launching stalling attacks against their party’s elected officials namely Chiredzi West MP Darlington Chiwa, Chiredzi
East MP Denford Masiya and Retired Brigadier Calisto Gwanetsa of Chiredzi South.
One of speakers Chiredzi District War Veterans Secretary General Killiot Mukanya lashed out at the three legislators accusing them of blocking their way to grab 29 000 hectares of sugarcane plantations believed to be farmed by Tongaat Hullets.
Mukanya alleged that war veterans have classified information reviling that the three mps connived with Vice President Joyce Mujuru to fraudulently collect 10 percent shares from the sugar milling giant as guarantee in defending the estate from losing its plantations.
“This is our time to tell the truth, as war veterans. We have failed to work with you members of parliament in Chiredz. Cde Chiwa, this is not a joke, tell even Honourable Masiya and Retired Brigadier Gwanetsa that we know that you are working against the gains of the revolution.
“You are blocking us from being issued with the 29 000 hectares of land which Tongaat Hullets is farming now. We have documents that show that you approached Tongaat Hullets with the help of Mai Mujuru and you were given 10 percent shares so that you would protect the company for losing its farms. We want you to know that we are the once who voted you to power and we will remove you,” said Mukanya.
Masvingo Provincial War Veterans Secretary for Information and Publicity Willium Zhou said war veterans were even geared to invade the company’s plantations and sharing them amongst themselves.
“We participated in the war for this land. It’s very surprising that some comrades are denying us what we fought for. It`s a very simple issue, as war veterans we will invade the farms whether Mai Mujuru wants it or not and we won’t apologise to anyone,” said Zhou to a roaring crowd.
Chiredzi West Member of Parliament Chiwa who was present at the meeting however denied blocking war veterans from attaining sugarcane plots saying it was the Minister of Land’s jurisdiction to oversee land issues.
“I have been voted into office for the past few months but issues of land have always been on the agenda. Was it Chiwa who blocked the distribution of these plots since 2000? It`s just a mere political move which is being peddled by elements who want my post in 2018 and I am not afraid of that. War veterans know that an mp has no power to distribute land, the minister does that,” said Chiwa.
Chiwa however rubbished the proposed invasions of sugarcane plantations saying the move would worsen the country’s ailing industry as thousands would be rendered jobless.
“Zimbabwe through its economic blue print ZIM-ASSET is trying to create employment but others are busy plotting at closing down companies. Tongaat Hullets is employing more than 29 000 people and who will employ them if the plantations are employed. Most sugarcane farmers are not paying their workers and this will cause a disaster in the lowveld,” said Chiwa.
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