Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Bulawayo – The Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) decision to restart commercial sorghum production at its Aisleby Farm after a five-year hiatus has sparked intense scrutiny from residents, who are demanding guarantees the venture serves public interests and not private gain.
With 105 hectares already planted and harvesting imminent, concerns over transparency and benefit-sharing dominate community discussions.
Project Revival Meets Resident Skepticism
Run by the council’s Business and Investment Committee, the initiative aims to diversify City revenue and reduce reliance on ratepayer funds. However, residents like Dennis Dubley, voicing concerns in a Ward 2 WhatsApp forum, questioned the project’s motives and end-use of the crop:
“Sorghum [is] to be sold direct to a brewery which supplies beer to beer halls… This product may be used purely to sustain individual profits, instead of selling it to the public experiencing real food shortages in Matabeleland.”
Dubley stressed public resources must not indirectly benefit elites while residents face service delivery crises:
“We need transparent projects… This project uses our resources, so we have all the rights to evaluate it.”
Council Defends Strategy: Value Addition and Jobs
Ward 2 Councillor Adrian Rendani Moyo welcomed the farm’s revival, framing it as a sustainability measure:
“The idea is value addition and sustainability. It’s not about individual profits. It doesn’t make sense for Ingwebu to buy grain from other provinces when Aisleby can supply it.”
He highlighted local job creation and historical precedent, noting councillors collectively pushed for the farm’s resuscitation. On Ingwebu Breweries – the sorghum’s intended buyer – Moyo detailed a modernization drive:
“We installed a PET packaging plant and rolled out a new carbonated beer brand… acquired a fleet of trucks for nationwide delivery. The end goal is for Ingwebu to be viable and self-sustaining.”
Addressing transparency fears, he assured:
“Our Business and Investment Committee keeps an eagle’s eye… Any victories should be victories for Bulawayo ratepayers.”
Residents Unconvinced: History and Bureaucracy Fears
Dubley countered Moyo’s optimism with historical context:
“In the past, Ingwebu supplied council beer halls for maximum profit. BCC faced financial problems when it lost that revenue.”
He and other residents like Helmand Shoko also flagged concerns over expanding council bureaucracy:
“We are now facing formation of new departments… to minimise management levels? Judging by parastatals, the opposite happens: disaster and costly services.”
Shoko linked the issue to systemic frustration:
“The fleecing of the ratepayer must stop. You cannot develop Zimbabwe’s second-largest city on ratepayer proceeds alone. Their contributions should only complement a viable city financial base.”
Accountability Pledge
While Dubley acknowledged Moyo’s responses, he concluded residents would actively monitor the project:
“We will hold this department to account from now on.”
As harvesting begins, the council’s ability to demonstrate tangible public benefit—not just commercial viability—remains the critical test for skeptical residents.
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