Tobacco farmers swindled in Karoi
By Tatenda Mabasa
KAROI – Nearly a hundred Hurungwe rural farmers were swindled of a total US$85 000 by a prospective tobacco buying company that promised to sponsor them with inputs.
Hurungwe development association leader Never Gasho made allegations that Karoi Auction Company fronted by former Hurungwe district administrator James Munetsi, farmer Tsikira and Eric Ndoro among others is no longer operational.
Gasho alleged that Karoi Auction Company never sourced inputs promised to farmers around Mashonaland West province as they were regarded as ‘’bad debtors’’ by a local bank that wanted to bankroll the project.
“As much as we wanted indigenous companies in the lucrative tobacco industry, Karoi Auction Company applied for a license but instead of assisting farmers, they swindled nearly US$85 000 from mostly rural tobacco farmers after promising them inputs when they paid subscription fees” alleged Gasho.
He claimed the officials were no longer available to tell farmers the progress made on the project that targeted some farmers in the Zvimba area.
“They made good proposal as they had the tenacity of using senior Zanu PF officials including Minister Ignatius Chombo to mobilise membership in his constituency.
“There are nowhere to be seen and as we speak they are not eager to apply for a license now because they do not have the capacity after they swindled money from the farmers” Gasho told farmers on Tuesday.
There was no immediate comment from the top officials accused of swindling money from the farmers. It’s also not clear if the case has been reported to the police yet.
Hurungwe farmers are lobbying the Government to issue a license to Mashonaland Tobacco Company that has contracted over 3500 small scale farmers.
However some buyers accuse MTC of fuelling the side marketing by some farmers who are no longer going to Harare after it started operating in the rural outskirts of Karoi and Rusape as the pilot project to decentralize.
The farmers want other tobacco buyers to follow suit and enhance competition to boost development for the poor but productive district in maize, tobacco and cotton.
