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Leonard Ncube  Victoria Falls Reporter
ZANU-PF Matabeleland North chairperson, Cde Richard Moyo on Saturday made a passionate plea to President Mugabe to revisit the province’s community share ownership scheme saying companies had reneged on their pledges.In an address during President Mugabe’s 91st birthday celebrations at Elephant Hills Resort, Cde Moyo said only Pretoria Portland Cement had honoured its $1 million pledge.

Companies that pledged funds for the scheme include Duration Gold Mine, Casmyn Mine, China Africa Sunlight that promised to contribute $1 million each.

Hwange Colliery, Chibondo Mines, South Mining and Makomo Resources pledged $600,000 each while Hwange Coal Gasification pledged $500,000.

“Your Excellency, you launched the Community Share Ownership Trust Scheme in Hwange where companies pledged to assist communities through chiefs but nothing has happened as none has honoured their pledges. We wish something could be done on this,” said Cde Moyo.

In an interview after the occasion, Cde Moyo told Chronicle that their wish was to see companies delivering on their promises.

He said there was need for Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment Christopher Mushowe to follow up on the issue.

“Many companies pledged and that means all other districts besides Umguza have nothing. Minister Mushowe should make a follow up so that chiefs and their communities can have direction on what to do next,” he said.

Traditional leaders in the province recently expressed concern over the failure by companies to honour their pledges to contribute funds towards the scheme since it was launched in 2012. They said they would engage President Mugabe on the issue.

When the President launched the scheme at the Hwange Colliery Stadium in October, 2012, a number of companies pledged millions of dollars in seed  capital.

Launching the scheme, President Mugabe said despite coal being discovered in Hwange over 100 years ago, local communities have only benefited as workers.

The government came up with community ownership schemes in all the country’s provinces after realising that people were not benefiting from riches on their ancestral lands.