The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda Chipinge Correspondent
Minister of State for Manicaland Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba has called for dialogue to come up with sustainable solutions to tension that has been rising between Green Fuel and villagers in Chisumbanje in recent months.Speaking during a tour of the Chisumbanje ethanol plant last week, Dr Gwaradzimba said the ethanol project was of great importance to the nation hence the need for co-operation to ensure that the community also benefited from the national resource.
‘’It is clear that the Chisumbanje ethanol project has impacted positively on the economy of the nation. Against such a background, the Government is acutely aware of the need for the local people to co-exist peacefully with the company. Therefore, there must be a win-win end result in the ongoing meetings between the company and the local leadership,’’ she said.
She urged the Green Fuel company to allow the local people to cultivate those areas where it was not currently working on.
‘’It’s not really necessary for there to be animosity between you. We should appreciate the fact that this is state land and in this case, there was an agreement between the Government and Green Fuel that a strategic project should start where ARDA and Green Fuel would enter into a private-public-partnership for the benefit of the whole nation,’’ she emphasized.
Greenfuel has been involved in several corporate social responsibility programmes in the community including donating asbestos to schools which had been affected by a severe storm in the area, coming up with a scholarship scheme in several schools to assist underprivileged students who excel in their studies.
Dr Gwaradzimba said Greenfuel was strategic in reducing the country’s fuel import bill and called for the completion of Kondo dam which would help increase production.
“Greenfuel is a massive national project the will alleviate fuel shortages in the country. The construction of Kondo Dam is important in expanding operations by the ethanol producer,” she said.
