Ugingqigongqo ngodaba lweTongaat Hulett oselusezithebeni zenkantolo
WUBONISWA MOHALE
KULOKOZA inhlansi yethemba ngekusasa lenkampani kashukela iTongaat Hulett esengcupheni yokushabalala emva kokuthi obekufanele bayihlenge befake amaphepha okuyivala enkantolo.
Ungqongqoshe womNyango wezoHwebo, iziMboni nokuNcintisana uMnu uParks Tau uyaziphikisa izinhlelo zabahlenga iTongaat Hulett zokuyihlakaza, wathi le nkampani izohlengeka futhi ne-Industrial Development Corporation (i-IDC) yenze ucwaningo olukhombisa ukuthi izokwazi ukusebenza.
Le nkampani izithola ikulesi simo ngenxa yokuthi phakathi kwango-2011 kuya ngo-2018 owayeyisikhulu esengamele izimali uMnu uMurray Munro akawenzanga ngendlela efanele umsebenzi wakhe, waqamba amanga ngesimo sezimali zenkampani.
Wahlawuliswa uR6 million ngo-2024, isijeziso sakhe kwabawukuthi akufanele aphathe isikhundla esifanayo noma abesebhodini yenkampani iminyaka eyishumi.
Ngonyaka odlule bekulindeleke ukuthi iTongaat Hulett ithengwe yiVision Group kodwa kwaba khona ukungavumelani phakathi kwayo nabengamele izinhlelo zokuyihlenga. Mhlaka-12 wangoFebhuwari abengamele ukuyihlenga bafaka amaphepha okuyihlakaza enkantolo.
Emaphepheni asenkantolo uTau ugxeke abengamele ukuhlenga iTongaat Hullet ngokuthi abazinakile izidingo zemboni kashukela, ezezisebenzi nomphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika ngesinqumo sabo sokufuna ukuhlakaza le nkampani.
Uthi yena ne-IDC bafuna ziqhubeke izinhlelo zokuhlenga iTongaat Hulett kodwa kubenemibandela emisha nezinhlelo ezizolandeleka futhi zivuleke.
Inkampani yenjinga uMnu uRobert Gumede iVision Group ithe yize lolu daba lusezithebeni zenkantolo kodwa isazibophezele ekuhlengeni iTongaat Hulett futhi iyaqhubeka nezingxoxo ezinenqubekelaphambili noTau, abahlenga ibhizinisi nabanye abathintekayo.
I-Vision Group ithe akusilo iqiniso ukuthi isebenzisana nomunye usomabhizinisi uMnu uPeter Moyanga ukuhlenga iTongaat Hulett kodwa izimele kulo mzamo.
UTau ugxeke iVision Group emaphepheni asenkantolo ngokungalandeli isivumelwano esisayine ngonyaka odlule njengoba isimo sesinje. Yize kunjalo uthe bazokwenza konke okusemandleni ukuhlenga le nkampani ngoba ibalulekile embonini yezolimo, ikakhulu kubalimi bomoba ezindaweni zasemakhaya KwaZulu-Natali naseMpumalanga.
Usihlalo weSouth African Farmers Development Association uDkt uSiyabonga Madlala uthe u-60% wabalimi abancane noma abawu-23 656 bancike emsebenzini weTongaat Hulett ngqo. Abawu-15 446 bahambisa umoba ezigayweni zale nkampani iMaidstone Mill, Amatigulu Mill neFelixton Mill.
“Laba balimi bathumele amathani omoba angaphezu kwango-1 million ngoMashi 31, bathola uR845 720 000 osize bona nezisebenzi. Sinenselelo yokunyuka kwentela kashukela noshukela oshibhile ovela kwamanye amazwe. Uma sekuzovala iTongaat Hulett kusho ukuthi izophela imboni. Nokho kubuyisa ithemba ukubona uhulumeni usukumela ukuvimba izinhlelo zokuvala le nkampani ngoba sizolamba singabalimi, uphele umnotho wasemakhaya, kuphele nemisebenzi,” kusho uMadlala.
Isikhulu esiphezulu seSA Canegrowers uDkt uThomas Funke sithe iTongaat Hulett ibaluleke kakhulu ezweni ngoba iyona kuphela egaya ushukela omhlophe osetshenziswa yimboni yokukhiqiza iziphuzo, uswidi namabhiskidi.
“Uma iTongaat Hulett ivala kuyosho ukuthi izimboni ezisebenza ngomkhiqizo wayo kufanele zilande ushukela kwamanye amazwe kuphazamise imboni yezwe Akuyona into enhle lena eyenzekayo ngoba uma ivala ngale ndlela abahlenga ibhizinisi abafuna ivale ngayo kuyosho ukuthi abalimi abangaphezu kwa-18 000 bazosala bengenandawo yokuyogaya umoba wabo uma kuphela u-Ephreli, ngeke babenamali ngomoba abawuvunayo. Siye enkantolo ukuyovimba ukuvala iTongaat Hulett. Icala lizobuyela enkantolo ngo-Ephreli,” kusho yena.
UDkt uFunke phakamise ukuthi uma kufanele ivale iTongaat Hulett kufanele kubenemali ezoqinisekisa ukuthi izigayo zayo ziyaqhubeka nokusebenza ukuze kuzogayeka umoba okhona, kudayiseke ushukela noma ivalwa.