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Zvamaida Murwira  in Chisumbanje
Members of Parliament clashed during a tour of Chisumbanje ethanol plant over whether to accept evidence from a small group of villagers they had met.Legislators from the Portfolio Committee on Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP, Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu-PF), clashed in full view of the villagers.

The villagers claimed Green Fuel had reneged on its promise to compensate them for loss of land and production.

Tempers flared when Chipinge South MP, Cde Enock Porusingazi, who is the local legislator, teamed up with Makoni West MP Cde Kudzanai Chipanga and Mberengwa North MP Cde Tafanana Zhou (all Zanu-PF), to protest Cde Wadyajena’s decision to hear evidence from the small group of villagers which they had met. Cde Porusingazi argued that the MPs were supposed to hear evidence from the main gathering at Chisumbanje business centre scheduled for the afternoon and not a small crowd which he alleged had been hand-picked and couched by a local pressure group, Platform for Youth Development Trust chaired by Mr Claris Madhuku.

Mr Madhuku had until then been aboard the bus carrying the legislators and was abruptly ejected after Cde Porusingazi accused him of couching people to discredit Green Fuel.

Cde Wadyajena, however, stood his ground saying he only decided to speak to the group after Green Fuel, which was guiding the tour, decided to stop to explain some irrigation activities adjacent to where the group was standing. He said there was nothing wrong with hearing views from people who were on the estate.