Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa in her cabinet briefing of 15 May said the agreement with Boustead Beef would do the following:
She said that benefits to accrue to Zimbabwe from the investment agreement included the following: increased capacity utilisation at CSC ranches and abattoir plants; increased prospects for restoration of the enterprise’s viability and higher throughput; stemming of further deterioration of equipment which is currently lying idle, and the growth of the local livestock and beef industry.
Two months down the line workers at what used to be Africa’s largest meat processor outside South Africa now think the government might have been duped.
First they say that the man running the show, Nicholas Havercroft, was a Marondera tobacco farmer whose farm was compulsorily acquired during the land reform programme. One of his colleagues also had his farm acquired.
“He may be British but what I know is that he was a tobacco farmer from Marondera,” a worker, who preferred not to be named as he still liked to keep his job despite the low salary and the salary arrears dating back to 2012, said.
“He started Savanna Tobacco with Adam Molai, and that is the area he knows,” the worker said.
Havercroft was not reachable for comment and has not responded to an email sent to him nearly two weeks ago. Savanna is now known as Pacific Cigarette Company.
In his-linked in profile, Havercroft, says: “I am one of the world’s leading experts in tobacco from growing, buying, processing, blending, cut rag, cigarette manufacture, distribution and e-cigarettes.”
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This post was last modified on July 28, 2019 4:33 pm
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