Rushwaya arrest just a tip of an iceberg of criminal activities
The late Alex Magaisa
By Alex Magaisa
- The arrest of Henrietta Rushwaya for attempting to smuggle 6kgs gold at the airport is not surprising. A wind of criminality follows her like a bad smell. What is intriguing is how Zimbabwe has become a haven for foreigners of a criminal disposition. We have a reputation.
- When she was nabbed red-handed, Rushwaya implicated one Ali Mohammed, a chap who owns an entity called Ali Japan786. She says she had instructions to deliver the smuggled gold to a chap in Dubai. Rushwaya is head of the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation.
- Just a few days ago, Rushwaya was with the Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando where big deals were announced. Also present at the ceremony was that Ali Mohammed of Ali Japan786, the chap who Rushwaya is implicating as her principal in the gold smuggling. The Herald covered the ceremony.
- If Rushwaya’s confession is correct, this means Minister Chitando was dealing with a criminal element. Do the intelligence guys ever do any due diligence or they just focus on going after government critics? Remember the Drax affair and that dodgy Albanian chap?
- It looks like criminals masquerading as investors see Zimbabwe as a haven for their heists. And how many more Zimbabweans out there are acting as couriers, like Rushwaya? She was probably bleating about sanctions yesterday. But they are the ones looting in broad daylight.
- She will probably be bailed shortly. And after a few remand hearings the matter will die quietly. It will be set up to fail, like the Nguwaya affair. There will be technicalities that will be exploited and that will be it. It all depends on who her political godfather is.
- In one undated image you can see Henrietta Rushwaya kneeling before President Mnangagwa. Last time, Mnangagwa was pictured with Delish Nguwaya of the Draxgate scandal where he wrongly & falsely announced that Drax had given US$60 million to the government when I fact the government was supposed to ph that sum to Drax.
—-Alex Magaisa is a law lecturer at Kent University in UK
About Post Author
