WASHINGTON —
Green Fuel (Pvt) Limited’s $600 million Chisumbanje plant in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province remains closed despite spirited efforts by Vice President Joice Mujuru for the ethanol entity to re-open Monday.
According to Claris Madhuku, a member of the Chisumbanje district ethanol plant implementation committee, thousands of retrenched workers and local people converged at the plant this morning hoping to witness the resumption of operations following its closure more than 18 months ago.
Madhuku said Vice President Mujuru appears to have been merely politicking last Tuesday when she told retrenched workers and locals that the plant will re-open Monday.
He told VOA Studio 7 Mujuru’s remarks that the plant is a Zanu-PF project have divided the local community along political lines with former ruling party youths already recruiting their members for Green Fuel jobs.
Officials in Mujuru’s office declined to comment. The plant was shut down following a land dispute between green fuel and villagers, prices of ethanol and the introduction of mandatory ethanol blending in the country, among other issues.
The Chisumbanje plant is currently holding more than 80 million litres of ethanol.
According to Claris Madhuku, a member of the Chisumbanje district ethanol plant implementation committee, thousands of retrenched workers and local people converged at the plant this morning hoping to witness the resumption of operations following its closure more than 18 months ago.
Madhuku said Vice President Mujuru appears to have been merely politicking last Tuesday when she told retrenched workers and locals that the plant will re-open Monday.
He told VOA Studio 7 Mujuru’s remarks that the plant is a Zanu-PF project have divided the local community along political lines with former ruling party youths already recruiting their members for Green Fuel jobs.
Officials in Mujuru’s office declined to comment. The plant was shut down following a land dispute between green fuel and villagers, prices of ethanol and the introduction of mandatory ethanol blending in the country, among other issues.
The Chisumbanje plant is currently holding more than 80 million litres of ethanol.
