Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Zimbabwe Allocates $10 Million for Farming Inputs

VP Mujuru’s office avails US$10m to support farming

Wednesday, 29 August 2012 04:29
Herald Reporter

Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s office has availed at least US$10 mil­lion to purchase
farming inputs for the 2012-2013 farming season.

Speaking at a workshop on land for the Zanu-PF Youth League, Nelmah Holdings managing director Mr Nel­son Mahupete said his company had already received the funds.

Nelmah Holdings was contracted to handle the funds and would soon commence distributing them to bene­ficiaries.

The event was attended by more than 20 delegates, including the party’s youth provincial chairmen and representatives of seed and fertiliser manufacturing companies.

“We received at least US$10 million from Vice-President Mujuru and that money will be used to boost farming activities in the country’s 10 provinces,” said Mr Mahupete.

“At least 20 percent will be chan­nelled to the youths, 10 percent to war veterans, 10 percent to women and 60 percent to members of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ).

“The money will be distributed starting at the end of this month. The money is meant to enable farmers to start preparing early for the next crop farming season.”

Zanu-PF youth secretary for Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement Cde Anastancia Ndlovu said the funds showed Government was wholly committed to preserving the legacy of the land reform programme.

“The land reform programme seeks to bring finality to the gains of the country’s independence,” she said.

“Youths, among other age groups, have been empowered through the land. The funds will supplement what the President avails through the annual inputs scheme to ensure food security in the country.”

Harare youth provincial chairman Cde Jimu Kunaka hailed the effort and said the money would reduce counterfeit seed products on the market.

“There have been previous reports of inputs being available very late on the market, thereby creating a shortage which affects the land reform programme,” he said.

Zanu-PF Midlands provincial youth chairman Cde Edmore Samambwa said seed companies had failed to support youth programmes.


Acting President summons Nhema, Mzembi

Wednesday, 29 August 2012 04:28
Sydney Kawadza Assistant News Editor
Zimbabwe Herald

Acting President Joice Mujuru yes­terday summoned Environment and Natural
Resources Management Min­ister Francis Nhema and his Tourism and Hospitality Industry counterpart Minister Walter Mzembi over the rag­ing Save Valley Conservancy saga.

The ministers had earlier met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare.

The new partners in the Save Valley Conservancy also met journalists to set the record straight.

Minister Nhema last night con­firmed the meetings and said he would meet the stakeholders for a last­ing solution.

“We have been advised to go and look into the matter. We will bring all parties involved together to find a last­ing solution,” he said.

Minister Mzembi declined to divulge issues that were discussed in the meeting.

“All I can say is the matter has been resolved amicably and Minister Nhema will make an appropriate state­ment at the right time,” he said.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Mr Luke Tam­borinyoka, confirmed the PM met the ministers.

“The Prime Minister met Minister Nhema, Minister Mzembi and the Governor and Resident Minister for Masvingo Titus Maluleke.

“I, however, cannot give you infor­mation on their deliberations,” he said.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries who received 25-year leases from Govern­ment to partner the farmers in the conservancy yesterday came out with their guns blazing.

The group led by Chiredzi South legislator Cde Ailess Baloyi, Chiredzi North MP Cde Ronald Ndama and Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair­man Cde Lovemore Matuke said they were not going back on the pro­gramme.

Cde Baloyi said this was an empow­erment programme to do away with colonial imbalances.

He, however, added that they would recognise the work done by the Save Valley Conservancy Trust in working with communities in the area.

“This is a programme with serious economic benefits for the communi­ties, but it’s not unique to Masvingo,” he said.

Cde Baloyi said their activities were not meant to destabilise Zimbabwe’s chances of playing host to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly.

“The programme was there since 2007, way before the issue of the Gen­eral Assembly came to Zimbabwe.

“What we are trying to do is correct the historic imbalances caused by colo­nialism and opening up opportu­nities for blacks in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Cde Baloyi, however, blamed the farmers of refusing to work with them.

“We have tried to engage our part­ners with little joy. They were adamant that they do not want to see us.

“We are the rightful players in the Save Valley Conservancy because we have the leases and the other guys do not have anything.”

He called for dialogue between part­ners.

“We need to engage in constructive dialogue.

We believe the advertise­ments being published are in bad faith.

“We are seeing a replay of the kind of propaganda that was used by the Ian Smith regime.

“We have, however, seen that this is the kind of ill-treatment being done to the workers at the conservancy.”

Cde Baloyi added that they were ready to engage their new partners.

“No one will lose their jobs and no one will be chased off the land.

“We want to engage them to find a solution to the impasse.”

Cde Ndaba, however, said they would not accept the conservancy members’ community ownership trust model.

“The surrounding communities have not benefited anything except meat and the people would not benefit from the 10 percent the farmers are offering.”

He added that the partners were working with other farmers.

Cde Matuke said Minister Mzembi was misinformed in supporting the farmers.

“They are trying to reverse the gains of independence. We are unhappy with the minister.

“Maybe he has a different agenda but he should listen to what the people on the ground are saying,” he said.

The new leaseholders were, how­ever, at pains to justify being benefici­aries in other areas of the indigenisa­tion process.

“Conservancies are different from the farms because they are proper businesses.

“It is like opening a supermarket and you need to put in money.

“We are busy working on our budg­ets but there is not much that is needed in this business,” Ndaba said.

They denied allegations of poaching in the conservancy.

The group of indigenous recipients was recently issued with hunting per­mits and quo­tas by Government to engage inter­ested hunters in the con­servancy.

They had been issued with 25-year leases in 2007 as beneficiaries of the Wildlife-based land reform pro­gramme.

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