Fired vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa is still holed up
in South Africa and isolated despite claims that he is in China, sources said
amid indications President Robert Mugabe has ordered that his finances must be
closely monitored.
Mnangagwa fled Zimbabwe two days after he was fired by
Mugabe on Monday for “disloyalty and deceit”.
A statement attributed to him threatened that he would
return in a few weeks to topple Mugabe, but sources yesterday said far from
being in a fighting mood, Mnangagwa was desperate to re-open lines of
communication with his boss.
“Mnangagwa is in Pretoria and did not go to China as is
being claimed,” the source said last night. “He is broken, terrified and
scared.”
The source said the former VP was also being shunned by his
business associates, including the Indian owners of the Africa Chrome Fields
(ACF).
ACF owners refused to provide Mnangagwa with a private jet
last Tuesday and have not been in touch with him since his arrival in South
Africa
“He is desperate to reconnect with Mugabe and his wife so
that he can be allowed to return home,” the source added. “He has told his
children that he is not feeling well and is desperate to return home and rest but
his supporters are putting pressure on him to fight his dismissal.”
Mnangagwa is said to be with his son Emmerson Junior. War
veterans leader Christopher Mutsvangwa, who addressed a press conference in
Johannesburg last week and announced that the former VP was on his way to South
Africa, promising he would join the opposition ranks, was tongue-tied
yesterday.
On Friday he promised to answer about 10 questions from The
Standard about the Mnangagwa debacle, but eventually delivered two lines before
going quiet.
“I am focused on the future, not this parochial history.
The Mugabe era of monumental misrule is in imminent sunset,” was all Mutswanga
could say about the questions, including whether he penned the statement
attributed to Mnangagwa or not.
Meanwhile, in Harare state security agencies were said to
be investigating a number of Mnangagwa’s alleged crimes, including suspected
money laundering that could see the once powerful VP being arrested on his
return.
“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe financial intelligence unit
has been instructed to keep a close eye on his bank accounts and his business
interests because there are fears that he could be funding terror and violence
within Zanu PF structures,” a senior government official said.
“His close allies, both in the business sector and outside
the country, are under monitoring and surveillance — be it mobile money or
their business operations — from the amounts they are banking to sales.”
The former VP is said to have interest in sectors such as
banking, hotel and leisure, energy, mining and agriculture.
Mnangagwa has allegedly been linked to a case where a local
company was using bank transfers to mop up foreign currency in contravention of
the Exchange Control Act.
The matter was partly investigated by the Zimbabwe
Anti-Corruption Commission under RR 27/10/17 but was dropped under unclear
circumstances.
Companies identified as Europium Star Investments, Spartan
Security and Makanaka Investments are involved in the saga.
Spartan is owned by Mnangagwa’s close relative, Tarirai
David Munangagwa who initially tried to leave the country for Mozambique via
Forbes Border Post.
Makanaka Investments, also trades as Pote Investments and
operates largely in the Zvishavane area, is owned by for former VP’s ally,
Antony Clever Pote.
The directors of Europium and Spartan are being
investigated for allegedly violating the Exchange Control Act by selling money
through bank transfers.
A Billy Tanhira, who is believed to be opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai’s late wife, Susan’s brother is also being investigated as
part of the case.
According to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc)
documents, the matter came to light after two men, Fordias Nyerere and Onesimo
Ndoro; accused of converting $100 000 to personal use by Tanhira, who claimed
to be the owner of Europium, were arrested for theft of property.
Tanhira’s, whose name does not appear on the ownership
documents of the company but is the complainant in the matter, claimed Nyerere
and Ndoro were supposed to give $201 000 from Makanaka Investments realised
from the transfer of $232 000.
Nyerere and Ndoro’s lawyers, Bherebende Law Chambers have
now written a complaint against the police claiming their clients were being
victimised because they were small fish.
The lawyers said several transactions of a similar nature
where several millions of dollars were sold by Makanaka Investments to several
companies including Spartan were conducted through t Nyerere and Ndoro.
Sources this was part of many cases that could be used to
put Mnangagwa behind bars.
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