THE Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) has threatened to deregister tobacco companies that renege on paying for services rendered.
TIMB chief executive Meanwell Gudu said this while
responding to questions regarding the ongoing impasse between Voedsel Tobacco
Company and transporters over non-payment for services.
The company has been shifting goalposts regarding payment
of transporters who ferried tobacco from farmers to the company during this
year’s selling season which started in March.
‘‘Our call to both transporters and farmers is to report
non-payment issues on time during the season so that the TIMB can effectively
intervene and make mitigation measures for everyone concerned,” Gudu said.
“It is more effective during the selling season as the
company can be suspended from conducting sales.”
Gudu said TIMB had since intervened to ensure the 15
transporters who were owed over US$60 000 were paid.
More transporters are now coming out in the open, claiming
they had not been paid their dues by Voedsel.
Tobacco Farmers Union president Believe Tevera implored
TIMB to “delist” Voedsel for not paying transporters.
“TIMB must revoke Voedsel’s licence as it has proved beyond
any doubt that it is incapacitated to contract farmers and make payments on
time,” Tevera said.
“Tobacco is a cash crop and seasonal. We expect payments to
be done urgently. We cannot allow a company to continue contracting farmers in
Zimbabwe when it is obvious it can’t pay, compromising the lives of more than a
thousand farmers and transporters, including those who directly or indirectly
depend on them.”
Tobacco Farmers and Transporters Union Mashonaland Central
chairperson Stayme Manyika said a lot of transporters and farmers had not been
paid by Voedsel.
‘‘We have some transporters who are also tobacco farmers,
but were not paid a single cent by Voedsel,” Manyika said.
“They are disgruntled that the company failed to pay them
on time. The transporters need assistance because the company has failed to pay
despite promising several times.”
The affected farmers started ferrying tobacco in April.
They are from Mt Darwin, Dotito, Guruve, Chakoma, and
Mvurwi among other areas. Transporters from Hurungwe, Mvurwi and Rusape, among
others, demonstrated on Monday and held a vigil at the company’s Karoi depot.
Voedsel managing director Innocent Mahufe last Monday
promised to settle the debt. Newsday
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