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Sen Hungwe

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
The Masvingo provincial leadership has expressed its readiness to have a mutually beneficial relationship with Lowveld sugar producer Tongaat Hulett and the country’s sole lithium extractor, Bikita Minerals.

Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Senator Josaya Hungwe said the province’s leadership wanted to forge a good working relationship with two of Masvingo’s biggest private companies.

“I am happy that I have already had discussions with a team from Tongaat and we held very fruitful discussions with them after taking advantage of our meeting to apprise them on where we want to go as a province,” said Sen Hungwe.

“We want a mutually beneficial relationship with companies like Tongaat, they are in business to make profit and grow their business, but our people must also draw benefits from them and I am happy they have expressed their readiness to work closely with us. I will also be engaging Bikita Minerals management soon because as the provincial leadership, we want close cooperation with them for the benefit of our people.”

Tongaat is arguably Zimbabwe’s largest employer with a workforce of close to 20 000. It is also considered to be the biggest private company in Masvingo province in terms of asset base. Besides sugar milling, the firm owns sugarcane plantations that straddle over 25 000 hectares at Triangle and Hippo Valley Estates.

Bikita Minerals, the country’s sole lithium producer, is one of the fastest-growing companies in Masvingo. Both companies have of late been under fire from some quarters for not doing enough to promote socio-economic development in the province, where they are based.

Sen Hungwe said the provincial leadership had engaged the two firms with a view to push for a mutually beneficial relationship. According to Senator Hungwe, there was scope for Tongaat to assist in irrigation development.

“We need partners with the financial outlay and expertise to tap the irrigation potential at Tokwe Mukosi. We want to work closely with companies like Tongaat to open land for irrigation, where we can grow crops such as cotton, sugar and even cereals like wheat specifically for export. There is potential, a lot of potential, at Tokwe Mukosi,” he said.

Communities around Bikita Minerals have been voicing reservations about the firm’s commitment to develop surrounding areas. Senator Hungwe said: “Yes, the company employs locals at its (lithium) mine, but there is a feeling that they are not doing enough in terms of ploughing back to the community. They have been mining there for many years and people want them to do more.

“We will be engaging them to find out ways of how they can help to meet the communities’ expectations.”

Last year, Tongaat spent $300 000 towards the Masvingo Community Share Ownership Trust. But Bikita Minerals has largely been accused of a lukewarm response to the Trust.