The workers also refuted media reports this week that they had blocked TSL from using the Harare depot, saying this was just another attempt to soil their name.
A senior CSC employee in Harare said TSL entered into a three-year contract with the CSC which expired last year and when it expired it removed all its equipment.
The worker also said employees were not collecting any rent from tenants.
“If we were the ones collecting rent from tenants why would we kick out TSL when we desperately need money because we have not been paid for months,” the employee said.
“What happened is that when Boustead Beef came in, it started hiking rents and asking tenants to pay their rent into Nick Havercroft’s personal Ecocash account. They were not given any receipts. So on 29 December 2019, they decided to stop paying. The tenants have the money but they said they are not going to pay as long as they are not being issued receipts. I also believe that this is the reason why TSL pulled out,” the employee said.
Havercroft could not be contacted for comment.
There has been bad blood between Boustead Beef, government and the workers since the government announced the corporate rescue plan last year.
Though Boustead Beef entered into an agreement with the government as an investor, it has filed a $3.5 billion claim as a creditor to the CSC leaving workers wondering who they are going to claim their outstanding salaries from as the Court Order granted in December recognises Boustead Beef as an investor.
The order, however, mandated the corporate rescuer to “examine Boustead Beef (Pvt) Ltd’s current operations (investments made and operational initiatives implemented since the signing of the agreement) and establish whether or not it has capacity to revive CSC and advance the Livestock Growth Plan”.
It looks Boustead Beef is fighting all out to avoid this examination into its operations.
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