President Robert Mugabe and his business associates have effectively taken over the Nuanetsi Ranch in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld, a sprawling property which was the first investment venture of a trust set up by his former political nemesis, the late Dr Joshua Nkomo, leader of PF-Zapu.

Zimbabwe Bio-Energy (Pvt) Ltd, a private company whose major shareholders are President Robert Mugabe and Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, has gone into partnership with the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) an organisation wholly owned by the now defunct PF-Zapu political party.

The two organisations plan to grow sugar cane on 100 000 hectares of land in the Nuanetsi Ranch for ethanol production. Other ventures in the pipeline include a giant crocodile-breeding project and cattle ranching.

The $1 billion investment project will displace over 1 000 families already settled in the Nuanetsi Ranch.

DTZ, which served as the investment vehicle for PF-Zapu, is currently chaired by Vice President Joseph Msika, who was Nkomo’s deputy.

Formed by Nkomo in the early 1980s, DTZ invested in Nuanetsi Ranch as its pioneer venture.

In a development that has sparked controversy the joint venture between Zimbabwe Bio-Energy and DTZ will embark on several other projects in the 300 000 hectare Nuanetsi Ranch. Details of the exact nature of the joint venture between Zimbabwe Bio-Energy and DTZ, the owners of Nuanetsi Ranch, or what the President’s company paid in return for its acquisition of his former political rival’s venture, are not clear.

Commenting on the joint venture outgoing Masvingo governor Titus Maluleke said only 100 000 hectares should be developed, not the entire ranch, since this was bound to generate controversy.

“We are saying the joint venture should only be confined to the 100 000 hectares and not the whole of Nuanetsi because we also want other investors to come on board”, said Maluleke.

“If the project is allowed to take over the whole ranch then there is need for people to question the logic because we are talking of a huge piece of land which should not be used by only two companies”, he added.

However vice chairman of DTZ Liberty Mhlanga has already confirmed that the joint venture will take over the whole ranch.

“We are going to have one of the biggest investments in which we would want to grow sugar cane for ethanol production “, said Mhlanga.

“In addition we will have one of the biggest crocodile projects in the country and a cattle ranching business.

“We will also build lodges in the ranch in order to attract tourists during the world cup in South Africa in 2010.”

The two companies have already cleared about 60 000 hectares of land since the project was given a nod in June last year. There are 5 000 herd of cattle on the property.

Early this year the yet to be displaced 1 000 families vowed to resist eviction. They claim that they were not consulted when the project was established.

Zimbabwe Bio-Energy is a subsidiary of Sabot Holdings, a company in which President Mugabe and Mnangagwa are major share holders, along with business tycoon Billy Rautenbach.

The controversial Rautenbach has been linked to the Zanu-PF leadership, Mnangagwa in particular, in mining ventures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

(Source)