Prominent high-flyers include former army general, Solomon Mujuru, his wife Joyce, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Phillip Chiyangwa, Ray Kaukonde, Ignatius Chombo, Mutumwa Mawere, David Chapfika, Obert Mpofu and Saviour Kasukuwere.
Recent revelations indicate that Solomon Mujuru’s estate is worth $9 billion, with concerns in mining, agriculture, tourism and construction. Mnangagwa’s business empire is more difficult to pin down but is thought to include retail, mining and farming.
Mines Minister Obert Mpofu recently bought off ZABG, a beleaguered bank. He is in direct control of mining processes in the country, among them the diamonds in Marange. He also has interests in properties and wildlife.
Kasukuwere’s empire is mostly in transport and fuel, while Chombo, another senior Zanu (PF) member, made headlines last year over then properties he has acquired since getting into politics, having been a mere lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.
Smuggling
It is not just Zanu (PF) bigwigs who have made money in Zimbabwe. Individuals such as Mohammed Al Shanfari gained notoriety when he was linked to diamond looting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Al Shanfari is the owner of Oryx House that is tucked away in Folyjon Close in Borrowdale. He has been linked to Zanu (PF) bigwigs who endorsed Zimbabwe’s intervention in the DRC war in the 1990s in order to take advantage of the strife in that country to smuggle diamonds.
Tales have been told of helicopter-loads of minerals being airlifted from the DRC and influential Zanu (PF) members reportedly escorted diamond smugglers to the airport to ensure they were not searched.
According to sources, one of those now filthily rich individuals started off as a mere Central Intelligence Officer and used his staff card to evade the police. He would use his sister’s car to drive into Mozambique where he bought ivory on the black market, until he managed to build a business empire that now spans numerous concerns.
Dubious platforms
For some, the creation of different platforms has enabled them to divert funds towards their personal pursuits.
Currently, there is concern that the indigenisation programme that Zanu (PF) has been pushing since 2007 is a deliberate ploy to enrich members and allies of the party.
The programme first targeted foreign controlled mines, demanding a 51 percent stake that should be ceded to blacks, but not much is known about local takers. The programme recently spread to conservancies, with Zanu (PF) stalwarts becoming the first beneficiaries.
Political analyst John Makumbe expressed concern over the wealth being amassed by these individuals, saying the indigenization policy would give them yet another chance to loot the country’s resources.
“The policy (of indigenisation) is aimed at the self-aggrandizement among Zanu (PF)’s rich coterie. This indigenisation policy will not alleviate poverty. It is flawed and is going to make the rich richer,” said Makumbe.
The likes of Mutumwa Mawere, who was forced off the vast Shabanie Mashava Mines by his erstwhile cronies in Zanu (PF) and now lives in self-imposed exile in South Africa, was a direct beneficiary of affirmative action in the early years of independence.
He reportedly acquired the asbestos mining company without paying a single cent, thanks to the Zanu (PF) patronage. According to sources, he neglected his godfathers, resulting in them conniving to push him out. Some have chosen to use underground syndicates to fatten their purses. There have been unconfirmed reports of several high-profile individuals forming “mafia gangs” to collect gold and diamonds from illegal miners and smuggling them out of the country.
Wikileaks
In a 2008 Wikileaks cable, the then US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee said high ranking government officials were getting millions of dollars through illegal diamond trade.
He was quoted as saying: “High ranking Zimbabwe government officials and well-connected elites are generating millions of dollars in personal income by hiring teams of diggers to hand extract diamonds.”
The cable also quoted African Consolidated Resources Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Cranswick, whose claim was seized in Chiadzwa, as saying a small group of officials were amassing a lot of wealth from Chiadzwa diamonds.
He named Grace Mugabe, Joyce Mujuru, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, and General Constantine Chiwenga as some of the culprits.
In May this year, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said only a small group of powerful figures in Zimbabwe was benefiting from diamond trade.
Biti is on record saying the Treasury was not receiving revenue from Anjin, a diamond mining company in Chiadzwa. Global Witness, a United Kingdom based non-governmental organisation claims it was highly possible that the revenues had been diverted to the company’s part owners in the military and the police.
The dynamics surrounding how these individuals have acquired their wealth have a political bearing, some analysts say. The high-ranking figures cannot openly challenge Mugabe, who is fully aware of their shenanigans, because they fear being arrested. According to the analysts, that is why the Zanu (PF) succession issue has taken so long.
Post published in: Analysis