FOLLOWING the recent military intervention which brought to
a dramatic end former president Robert Mugabe’s 37-year-old rule, his family is
now scattered across different countries, while their multi-million dollar
businesses and deals face collapse.
The Mugabe family has a multi-million-dollar empire built
around numerous farms, prime real estate, various businesses and lucrative
tenders which they wrested for self-aggrandisement.
The family also benefitted heavily directly and indirectly
from public funds during Mugabe’s endless globe-trotting trips.
On some occasions the family used public funds to acquire
private assets.
By mid-year, Mugabe had overspent on travel by US$23
million. His budget was US$30, but he spent US$53 million on largely futile foreign
trips. Overall, his office had a US$43 million budget overrun.
Investigations by the Zimbabwe Independent show that
Mugabe’s wife Grace used to siphon millions during the trips.
“On one occasion this year, for instance, his wife took
about US$3,5 million during a foreign trip,” a senior Treasury official said
this week. “There is also another example; the money used to buy their mansion
in Sandhurst, Sandton, Johannesburg in South Africa came from public funds
through local banks. At one point Grace also demanded that Patrick Chinamasa
(who was Finance minister and still is) buys cars for her and he had to find
the money.
These are just a few examples, but there was a pattern or
systematic looting of public funds. Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe officials know this.”
Sources close to the family told the Independent that while
Mugabe and Grace still remain holed up in their Blue Roof mansion in Harare,
their children have been scattered by the political upheavals which engulfed
Zimbabwe recently leading to their dramatic loss of power.
The sources said Mugabe’s step son, Russel Goreraza, who is
Grace’s first child with her former husband and hence the former president’s
step son, is the only one who is still in Harare.
Their daughter Bona, son-in-law Simba Chikore and grandson
Simbanashe left for Malaysia on Friday last week. Bona is said to be expecting
her second child. Mugabe’s party-loving boys Robert Junior and Bellarmine
Chatunga are staying at their affluent Sandhurst mansion. In fact, they have
two properties there and were contemplating buying another one.
Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao is also holed up in
Johannesburg after failing to return home from a trip to Argentina in the
aftermath of the military takeover. His family members have reportedly joined
him in South Africa.
Grace’s allies and former cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo
and Saviour Kasukuwere, as well as their families, who sought refuge at the
Blue Roof after the army intervention, have also left the country. They are
understood to be in Kenya. Moyo and Kasukuwere’s families had remained in the
country, but fled after the military raided their homes for the second time
last Thursday. The army initially stormed their homes in the wee hours of
November 15.
Zhuwao has been condemning the military action from South
Africa, while Moyo has of late been tweeting his condemnation of the military
“coup” as well.
Although Mugabe and Grace appear to be quiet in the public
domain, the former First Lady has been complaining behind-the-scenes about how
her family and the families of her allies have been treated. She has also been
complaining about threats to her businesses and property, citing the terms of
agreement secretly reached as part of the deal for Mugabe to resign.
Informed sources said Grace has been relaying her
complaints and protests to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zimbabwe Defence
Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga mainly through mediators, Catholic cleric
Father Fidelis Mukonori and former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon
Gono.
Mugabe resigned on Tuesday last week after being granted
full immunity and was given a US$10 million exit package, full monthly salary,
medical cover, security as well as protection of his private properties.
Mugabe’s ouster has left the family business empire facing collapse. For
instance, last week Grace complained about disruptive activities around Manzou,
Sigaru and other farms which they own as a family. His removal has also cut
away rent-seeking opportunities. For example, Russell and his business partner
Valentine Garacho imported seven top-of-the-range vehicles worth about US$2,5
million three months ago after brokering a controversial mining deal between
government and a Kazakhstan company, Todal Mining, which owns platinum
concessions between Shurugwi and Zvishavane.
The cars include two Rolls-Royce, two Range Rovers, two
Mercedes-Benz S-Class and an Aston Martin.
In 2011, Grace and her former business partner, Ping Sung —
a Taiwanese-born South African — bought trucks, trailers and equipment worth
almost US$1 million with money transferred through the central bank. Grace and
Hsieh were later engaged in a fight over a US$5 million mansion in Hong Kong.
The row over the Hong Kong home apparently erupted after a dispute over a gold
mine in Chinhoyi. The Mugabe family has also raked in millions through dodgy
tenders. Simba and his wife — who have been building a huge mansion in Harare —
reportedly have an interest in the US$2 billion Beitbridge-Harare project.
Early this month government began secretly winding down struggling flag carrier
Air Zimbabwe’s operations through the back door as a new company with an opaque
shareholding structure prepared to take to the sky. Simba is reportedly behind
the Zimbabwe Airways project which would have led to Air Zimbabwe’s demise.
Simba’s brother Derrick Chikore is involved in a dodgy
US$200 million Dema energy deal which did not go through tender. All these
opportunities are now gone.
Grace’s Mazowe empire includes an opulent double-storey
mansion on Mapfeni Farm, which can be seen from Manzou Farm where she has been
evicting thousands of villagers since 2011 to establish a game park. There is
also a dairy farm, orphanage, a school and a proposed US$1 billion dollar
private university project to be funded by public funds.
Grace has also grabbed land which belonged to the former
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed agro-producer, Interfresh’s Mazowe Citrus
Estate. Zimbabwe Independent
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