$5m Chisumbanje cane up in smoke

CHISUMBANJE – Over 500 hectares of sugar cane worth US$5 million belonging to Green Fuel in Chisumbanje went up in smoke yesterday in a suspected case of arson. Police were, however, not available for comment. 

The incident comes barely three days after Zambian Energy and Water Development Deputy Minister Mr Charles Zulu visited the Chisumbanje ethanol plant and indicated his country’s desire to import ethanol from Green Fuel over the next three years.

Green Fuel is a joint venture between Macdom and Rating Investments with Government through Arda. The project supports 5 000 jobs and was set to transform the Chipinge community. Arda chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza last night confirmed the destruction of the sugar cane.

“About 500 hectares of sugar cane worth US$5 million has been destroyed in Chisumbanje. Ten people have been arrested so far and I understand that police investigations are still under way,” he said.

Last year Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma said government could not ignore the problems surrounding the ethanol project, just so that they could enrich one person (Billy Rautenbach).

Mangoma said the project had “kicked out and taken land from the people, from their communal areas, this has got to be restituted.”

He also said the project was trying to force the mandatory blending of fuel in the country but as the government they had to balance “the interest of the investor and the interest of the public.”