PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is reportedly fuming after former South African president Thabo Mbeki told him and provided evidence senior Zanu PF ministers had demanded a US$10 million bribe to facilitate a US$1 billion investment by African National Congress (ANC)-linked investors.
Report by Owen Gagare
Informed sources said this week Mbeki, whose wife Zanele is involved in business, told Mugabe during Zimbabwe’s Diamond Conference in Victoria Falls from November 12-13 he was shocked by ministers who tried to extort US$10 million from ANC-connected businesspeople who wanted to pour a US$1 billion investment in diamond mining and other areas.
Before Mugabe hinted on the issue at the Zanu PF conference in Gweru last weekend, the Zimbabwe Independent was already investigating the story after picking up leads during the recent Victoria Falls meeting.
Sources say Mbeki named the ministers, some of whom have built vast business empires from nowhere, to Mugabe and promised to give him evidence of extortion. It is said Mbeki last week sent an envoy, who was part of his facilitation team during Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement negotiations, to give Mugabe the evidence.
Efforts to get comment from Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba failed, while Mbeki’s spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga refused to speak on the issue now under investigation.
Among the proof is information clearly showing the names of the ministers, who they met, when and where and how they demanded bribes, effectively scuttling huge investment to Mbeki’s annoyance. Mugabe was said to have been angered by the information, especially insinuations that he was going to get a cut from the US$10 kickback.
After getting the evidence from Mbeki of which ministers were demanding bribes, Mugabe, irked and disappointed by his appointees, menacingly hinted on the issue at the Zanu PF conference.
“I was getting complaints from outside. Former South African president Thabo Mbeki was saying some of their people in the ANC wanted to come intending to do business and this is what they have been told: ‘If you want to do this business, you bring US$5 million and from that US$5 million we take US$1 million that we will take to the minister to give to the president’,” Mugabe said.
“If I get information stating that so and so minister is doing this, he goes. Unfortunately, sometimes complainants do not want to identify the ministers, fearing persecution but that is happening in the ministries.”
The now defunct Canadile Miners director, Lovemore Kurotwi was arrested in 2010 for allegedly ‘fraudulently misrepresenting’ to government that his company had money to mine diamonds, when in fact it was bankrupt. Officials claim this effectively ‘prejudiced’ the government of US$2 billion investment.
However, Kurotwi has insisted the fraud charges are linked to his telling Mugabe that Mines minister Obert Mpofu had demanded a US$10 million bribe to licence his company.
Sources say the bribe from ANC-linked investors was demanded as “commission” and “facilitation fees” for the removal of obstacles to do with the indigenisation programme to ensure the businesspeople did not encounter any problems.
An internal government investigation has reportedly been launched on the issue which could open a Pandora’s Box on high-level corruption, bribery and extortion.
Zanu PF ministers, who live in huge mansions and own luxury vehicles, are some of Zimbabwe’s well-off people despite that their sources of income are not clear.
Several Zimbabwean ministers have allegedly enriched themselves by demanding bribes and kickbacks from investors using Mugabe’s name. Some bribes have been demanded from those wishing to invest in the telecommunications, road construction and energy sectors.
Although some of the ministers have caught with their hands on the till, Mugabe has failed to act and kept them in his government. For instance, Mugabe has been told by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo’s source of wealth should be investigated but nothing has been done.
Apart from dealing with Zanu PF ministers such as Enos Nkala, Maurice Nyagumbo and Frederick Shava involved in corruption in the 1980s and later Chris Kuruneri, Mugabe has largely ignored or neglected dealing with corrupt officials.
Ministers continue to loot public resources, including Marange diamond revenues, without consequences.
Mbeki was said to have been disappointed as he highlighted that the ministers’ demands were militating against investment and Sadc’s efforts to assist Zimbabwe’s US$10 billion Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (Sterp) endorsed by the Sadc summit in Swaziland in March 2009.
One of the Sadc resolutions reads: “The extraordinary summit noted the Sterp developed by the Zimbabwe government to guide the country’s actions and efforts towards economic and social recovery, estimated at US$10 billion. The extraordinary summit urged member states to support Zimbabwe to implement Sterp in the form of budget support, lines of credit, joint ventures and toll manufacturing.”
Addressing delegates at the Diamond conference in Victoria Falls, Mbeki, after informing Mugabe of his ministers’ corrupt behaviour, went on to say Zimbabwe’s resources, including diamonds, should be used genuinely to benefit the ordinary people, not the well-connected.
“This must also mean that this country’s political leadership, including all the parties which serve in the current inclusive government established because of the GPA, must absolutely ensure that the diamond mining industry is not governed by a predatory elite which uses its access to state power to enrich itself, against the interests of the people as a whole, acting in collusion with the mining companies,” Mbeki said.
There are a number of ANC-linked businesspeople with interests in Zimbabwe’s mining sector, among them Mzi Khumalo and Bridget Radebe, the wife of South Africa’s Justice minister Jeff Radebe. South African business magnate Patrick Motsepe and other tycoons have been to Zimbabwe searching for investment opportunities.
Although it remains uncertain if the former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema also has business interests in Zimbabwe, he is known to be close to Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
takazvireva kare. Hapana zvaingoitwa vamugabe vakatarisa uye vakaudzwa naMorgan vakanyarara. Mugabe is also 2 blame zvino wonyadziswa. Kuudzwa naMbeki of all the pple of things that hapen in yo country commander-in-chief. I cd ve resigned if i were gushungo coz zvinotsverudza. Come election time coruption icharuza chete. Kudya zvevafupi nekureba! Reveal more Mbeki zvazokubatawoka? Quiet diplomacy haidyisi uye haihwinhisi. Zora butter mbeki!!
We are our worst enemies.Forget about illegal sanctions mantra.These are most illegal sanctions by any standards.A tip of an iceberg.Ba Chatunga vari kuvhara ma one.He is a toothless bulldog and cunt raise a finger.They shall appoint commissions to probe this and another commissions to probe the first commissions and it will die a natural death.Zvinogonekwa navana Mogiza vakadzinga council yese coz of this cancer
Aya ndiwo anonzi matandanyadzi chaiwo nevakuru. Izvi zvavekuitirwa nokuti zvakaburitswa nava Mbeki, asi tinoziva tose kuti zvichaperera mukutaura chete. Tese tinoziva pakatanga corruption kusvika nhasi, nekutiwo hapana matanho akambotorwa kudzivirira corruption. Mu ZANU pf kana usina huwori hamuna nzvimbo yako. Bvunzai va Mutasa vanotsigira mashoko aya. Kana ivowo vakuru havachina masimba nekuti vakananzviswawo. Kumhuri ye Zimbabwe ndinoti chavakungodiwa chete kubvisa tsvina yese muna 2013 totanga patsva.
kangai akaba mari kuGMB akaitwa sei all the problems this company is currently experiencing were cozed by Kangai
ko handiti vaida $50 million here kuti zisco ivhurwe ivo baba vamwechetewo
Mugabe ne bathu babe batikolomolela matjilo zwinogwadza kubi. Kuti babe be mimila beti “illegal sanctions” is just a useless politricks mantra. Mugabe’s ministers are the one who have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. Koga, justice will catch up. Akuna ipo pabangabgwata.
Instead of firing he threatens to fire yet he has not fired anyone since 1980 yet we have one the best police force and feared or dreaded spooks and CIO goons yet there is no evidence there is certainly a method to the madness! It mine mean firing everyone right to the top by the way what happened to the US$280 milly declared by Anjin only 30 million found its way to the treasury. These people must go to jail!
What a coincidence that the US$10 million “alleged” bribe is the same amount that Obert Mpofu “allegedly” demanded from Lovemore Kurotwi. Am I just imagining things?
this has been happening since a long time ago and he wont do anything as we are used to, and pliz just name those corrupt ministers thats what a democratic country does!!!
HAKUNA MUMWE NDI DANMORE(MHOFU).VANE DUMBU REMADIAMONDS
Maya ndiDanmore!!?
Mugabe’s ministers have been taking bribes since time immemorial but nothing has never been done. If Mugabe doesn’t know saka ari kutsvaga chii as a president. He is useless and this corruption is costing us big time.
Mugabe must name the corrupt ministers or he stands to lose credibility. What he says wil lack conviction. After all its now an open secret who they are. One of them looked miserable on ZBC news. Chawakadya chamuka. They must sink Another minister is a poacher.
The whole Redcliffe is dead, Kwekwe is a ghoast town Zimbabwe industries adead only because of Chedumbu who is after $50million so that Zisco can be revived,how can this “prime minister donate mauize to each household in Matebeleland,buy all farms between Byo and Vic Falls buy all tall buildings in Byo, buy the whole of Vic Falls, bail out Highlander single-handedly buy a bank, yet without $50million Zisco will never open. Tinozviziva, tatambudzwa na Chedumbu the defacto :prime Minister “most obedient servant. Haunyari
All this is happening at the nose of the CIO, iri ndiro basa renyu chairo rekuona vanhu vanoita huwori huno Dzinga maInvestors. Iyi ndiyo sabotage chaiyo, ngavasungwe kwete kungodzingwa chete , Cde President.
@tino idama kunyepera ruzhingi rezimbabwe kuti tine masanction ehema wariwo wari kudzinga ma investors
Mugabe is pretending not to know that his Ministers are asking bribes on his behalf , with the CIO around him if things were done underhand they could have told him. Mugabe has been using his Ministers as fronts remember Moven Mahachi and the DRC diamond issue. Corruption haina zera.
This web site is certainly rlaitevely useful because I’m on the minute making an online floral internet site even though I’m only beginning out consequently it is genuinely rlaitevely modest, absolutely nothing similar to this internet site. Can website link to some with the posts right here because they are very. Many thanks a lot. Zoey Olsen
all buck and no bite
I-i, the wealth with some of these ministers inototyisa.
taura chete kuti obert mpofu
Its obvious Mugabe has benefited from this sort of corruption over the years and we all know part of that $10m would have gone to him. A lot of people have questioned how Obert Mpofu got his wealth and we are now seeing the truth. Remember Mpofu once equated Mugabe to Jesus; the bootlicking is meant to shiled him from ever being held to account for the millions he is looting.
How and where did Mugabe get the cash to build his blue roof Bdale mansion? He is now pretending to be tough but the sad and embarrassing fact is our Govt is being run by a bunch of hoodlums.
Mugabe will never fire the corrupt ministers .Actually he wi
promote them.
When it is said that some of the money would be passed on to the commander-in -chief, thats true coz how do you explain the the old man’s business empire based on his government earnings? Mudhara is part of the cartel and noone will be fired. Remember the guy is so old he quickly forgets what he says
VaMugabe was just joking,remember that Mpofu robbed the RBZ of diamonds which the High Court had directed to be kept in its vault as they were a subject of despute between ARC and Mbada Diamonds and was even assisted by armed police to rob the country’s top bank and nothing happened to him.
These goons are mafios ,created in the mould of Al Capone.If this quasi independence is to be replaced with proper independence they ought to go The Muosoline way.