MDC-T acting president, Thokozani Khupe, has demanded speedy action on the extraction of methane gas in Lupane for the benefit of the country.
The Lupane gas project which has the potential to turn around the country’s fortunes has remained a pipedream with no serious investor committing to the project.
Khupe, who was speaking in Parliament Tuesday during a debate on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, said the issue of the Lupane gas should be addressed as a matter of urgency.
“We have methane gas in Lupane and we are told that this methane gas is the finest in the whole world,” said Khupe.
“We are told that investors have come to try and invest in that methane gas but there are people who were given claims who are holding on to papers and they have not done anything since. When investors want to come and invest in this mineral, they are told there is somebody who is holding on to the paper.”
She challenged the government to swiftly act on the matter.
“I would like to challenge the Minister of Mines right now to say Minister, can you please withdraw those papers from people who are not doing anything,” she said.
“Can you give claims to people who are going to do something because that methane gas is going to change our fortunes as a country. That is the money which is going to be used to satisfy the needs of the people.”
Khupe added: “I would like to challenge the Minister to say, within a few weeks we want to see something happening in Lupane. We cannot allow money to remain underground, money which is supposed to satisfy the means of the people.”
