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Kasukuwere fails to turn up for Parly ‘grilling’

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ENVIRONMENT, Water and Climate minister Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday failed to turn up before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee

ENVIRONMENT, Water and Climate minister Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday failed to turn up before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee which was keen to grill him over the issue of the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust (CSOT).

VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER

It was not clear whether Kasukuwere chickened out or had other pressing commitments when he failed to appear before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu PF).

The committee waited for almost two hours for Kasukuwere and when it was clear he would not turn up, Parliament of Zimbabwe deputy clerk Kennedy Chokuda addressed the committee on procedural issues which journalists who were waiting outside were not privy to.

Wadyajena later gave a brief address to journalists.

“The said minister, who was invited to appear before the committee, could not come. I will not take any questions,” he said.

The meeting between Kasukuwere and the committee had promised to create fireworks as there appears to be tension between some members and the minister who previously held the indigenisation portfolio and presided over the formation of the CSOT.

Recently, Wadyajena wrote to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda alleging that Kasukuwere was threatening him.

Previous meetings with the Marange Zimunya CSOT and Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Francis Nhema revealed that agreements between the CSOT and diamond mining companies in Marange to inject $50 million into the CSOT for developmental projects were only verbal with no written commitments.

It was also revealed before the committee that a $1,5 million dummy cheque which President Robert Mugabe was made to present to the Marange-Zimunya CSOT was blank and to date, only $400 000 was deposited into the account by two mining companies.

The committee was keen to grill Kasukuwere over the issue as he was then the minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment when all these things happened. Kasukuwere recently indicated his eagerness to appear before the committee to set the record clear.

Meanwhile, more rot seems to be happening at CSOTs as another Parliamentary committee, the Thematic Committee on Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Harare Metropolitan Province Senator Cleveria Chizema heard that the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP)-Zvataida CSOT, Mabvuku Tafara CSOT and Goromonzi CSOT were not really benefiting anything from exploitation of their natural resources.

UMP chief Joshua Chinhanga and chief Tichafa Zimondi Chipfiyamiti appeared before the committee and revealed that to date, there were no legal documents to ensure mining companies operating in the area gave up 10% shareholding to the community.

“We are facing challenges in that Lafarge pledged seed capital of $3 million dollars, which translates to $1 million dollars for each of the three CSOTs (UMP, Mabvuku-Tafara and Goromonzi). Only $326 000 was paid to each of the three,” UMP-Zvataida CSOT secretary Agri Kanganga told the committee.

“Other qualifying businesses like Rock Link, Sino Africa, Surge Gold Mining, Natural Source and others are not complying and have not given back anything to the communities.”

The committee was not impressed by a project whereby UMP-Zvataida CSOT said they were going to construct Nhakiwa Vocational Training Centre for $3 million because 90% of students in the area were failing at school.

According to the committee, the CSOT did not consult people on what kind of projects they preferred.

“The project is not feasible and it was decided by the board without consulting the community,” Chizema said.

It was also not clear where the $326 000 for Mabvuku-Tafara CSOT was deposited, giving suspicion that there could be misuse of funds as the donations exchanged hands.

The committee asked the CSOTs to go back and bring proper documentation to show how they operated.