via War vets vow tycoon Rautenbach war 14 July 2014
WAR veterans, traditional leaders and ordinary villagers in Chisumbanje have demanded that Green Fuel compensate them for land taken by the Ethanol project failing which “there will be blood on the floor”.
Speaking at a parliamentary public hearing in Chisumbanje, war veteran James Maphosa threatened business tycoon Billy Rautenbach whom they accused of hiring the country’s detractors to work at the factory at the expense of locals who are now destitute.
Rautenbach, who pioneered the project, has since been forced into a partnership with the government but the company remains embroiled in a wrangle as villagers are demanding a stake and compensation for land seized to pave way for the deal.
“If people who lost their land to the project are not compensated now, soon there will be war at the processing plant,” Maphosa told the parliamentary committee on Youth and Indigenisation chaired by Zanu PF MP for Gokwe Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena.
Some 1,750 villagers were displaced to pave way for the project but only 500 have been re-settled, leaving the rest to suffer as destitute, activists claim.
“He (Rautenbach) is now trying to recolonise us … but after waging a bitter war against his fellow whites, we will not allow that to happen,” said Maphosa, a member of the national war veterans association.
“He is taking resources generated from this project to his kith and kin in London. He must compensate for the land they took from communal farmers.”
The war vet added: “We know that he is employing whites who lost land during the liberation struggle … we will not allow that to continue.
“The people love this project but the manner in which he is doing it is very bad. Our people are dying of hunger because they have no source of livelihood.”
The committee was in Chisumbanje to hear the grievances of displaced families with most of them saying the project was only benefiting selected individuals.
The villagers had also no kind words for local MP, Enock Porusingazi.
“He is unhelpful to us. We are suffering here because we don’t have a representative who can take our case to the investor so that he fulfils agreements we made when he came here to establish his plant.
“Since he was voted into power, we have not seen him here. He has abandoned us but before the July 31 (2013) elections, we used to work together and fight for the development of this area together.”
Local chiefs chipped in saying Rautenbach must compensate farmers who lost their land as most of them were failing to send their children to school.
“When he came here, we thought we had found a saviour, but six years down the line, things are not looking well for most families,” said Chief Garahwa.
“It is time things changed, we are tired of promises from the investor because our people are dying,” he said.
Company workers are not happy either.
“White employees are not searched at the gate but blacks are subjected to this. The union is denied the right to represent its members … also workers are denied the right to join a union of their choice.”
COMMENTS
Bleh bleh bleh. Rautenbach is protected but Maphoso is too thick to take that in.
And according to Mugabe and the War vets YOU DO NOT COMPENSATE FOR LAND TAKEN ask any other Zimbabwean farmers who had their farms taken. You war vets, Chiefs and ZPF people cannot have the laws to suit yourselves, after all you did the very same thing to the white farmers and now you cry foul. This is the Zimbabwe you have created so you too must live with it.
These grasping peasants always want what they have not earned. Try and conduct yourselves like grown men, it will be a new experience.
Obviously criminal maphosa wants to take the project over for free a LA mliswa kaukonde chiyangwa etc
Hope rautenbach van hoogstraten bredenkamp koumides etc also soon get their one uppance
I for one will be happy if this “white zanoid” receives a dose of what they dish out to fellow Zimbabweans. If I had money, I would encourage Maphosa to even sue big time. This is one zanoid whiteman that has enjoyed Mugabe’s protection all these years while paying huge to finance and oil zanoid machinery of evil and violence.
“He is taking resources generated from this project to his kith and kin in London. He must compensate for the land they took from communal farmers.”
Words straight out of Mugabe’s mouth. Destroy each other you fools he he he!
nobody really gives fig about these corrupt tycoons, cleverly handling their little zanu puppets ,but if anyone said’there will be blood on the floor’ that was not a zanu stooge, they would have already been arrested, incarcerated and beaten–double standards with these lying goons called wavits…
Just because one man does this does not mean the entire white population does,it is this attitude that is ruining the country and the economy.Why are Zimbabweans not just seen as Zimbabweans?This government and their anti white agenda will not solve anything.What we need is a new way of thinking where all Zimbabweans can just work together and stop playing this idiotic blame game that has put the economy on its knees while the elite(black and white)are living amazing lives with properties all over the world laughing at the idiots on the ground with nothing playing the blame game.Why do you think Rautenbach is protected by the same people that claim to be ‘fighting against the whites’?are you all that blind that you think it is really a matter of race?The land has been redistributed now it is time to work the land and make something of it and in some cases take it back from those such as Rautenbach who has removed innocent people from their land in a project that is supposed to ‘profit the nation’ and by profit I mean steal our money and damage our vehicles.It is time to grow up Zimbabwe and stop blaming each other. It is your country,make it one that you are proud of and not the begging bowl of Africa.
Rautenbach,van Hoogstraten,Bredenkamp and Moxon are “senior politburo members” Maphosa should know this, if in doubt refer to Mliswa.
Taurai henyu Mukanya. Maphosa does not know that these guys are CEOs for Matibili Enterprises owned by Robert Matibili mwana wemwanasikana weKwaMugabe. Yue were very correct Mukanya to refer Maphosa to Mliswa. Mliswa wanted to try that extortation and blackmailing cash cow of ZANU PF and he was told once that he was trying to grab from the wrong hand.
No white man can own farm land “except for my buddy Billy, who pays for my wife’s shopping sprees to Singapore” and if a few povo loose their farms what does ZANU care anyway.