THE case of Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa and
former adviser to the President, Christopher Mutsvangwa’s son, Neville, who is
allegedly running an illegal foreign currency trading business, has spilled
into Parliament, where an opposition senator grilled Finance minister Mthuli
Ncube over the reports.
This comes in the wake of the arrest of five Zimbabwe
Republic Police officers on charges of robbing a money changer of US$11 000
despite receiving a US$3 000 bribe to release
US$200 000 they had confiscated after a raid of Avenues
offices reportedly belonging to Neville and his associates.
Midlands senator Lillian Timveous grilled Ncube over the
issue, saying: “We have been following the news and Mutsvangwa’s son was caught
with over US$200 000, (in a case where) he is allegedly dealing in illegal
foreign currency business. When the police apprehended him, he was found with
US$200 000 and what is the Minister of Finance going to do to stop such illegal
activities?”
Ncube said he could not respond to an issue which was
already before the police. He also failed to further explain what should happen
to illegal foreign currency dealers.
“The issue is before the police, which really means they
are dealing with it. In a sense, the Minister of Finance has no role because
the law enforcement agents have already started their process and they are dealing
with the matter. Obviously, we will also watch the space to see how that is
concluded. The police are doing their job,” Ncube said.
The five police officers — Tafadzwa Chidawa (31), Edward
Selemani (33), Sydnie Mugambiwa (32), Tendai Mangena (37) and Richard Majome
(34) — appeared before Harare magistrate Barbara Mateko, who remanded them to
June 19 on $100 bail each.
Ironically, on Tuesday at a post-Cabinet briefing,
Mutsvanga threatened to name and shame sharks behind illegal foreign currency
dealings while also attacking an insurance giant.
In 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government amended
the Exchange Control and Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act through a
statutory instrument, which prescribed 10 years imprisonment for illegal
foreign currency dealers in an effort to stop illegal money deals.
On Thursday, when Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John
Mangudya appeared before Parliament, he said there was a lot of indiscipline in
the country, which had given rise to the illegal parallel market on foreign
currency.
“Who is that one so rich that they can move the rate of
exchange? Who is that person who has the RTGS dollars for them to have the
exchange rate going up?” Mangudya had queried.
Black market rates were hovering around 800% to the United
States dollar.
Meanwhile, Ncube was also grilled in Senate by Matabeleland
North senator Phyllis Ndlovu over the RTGS dollar.
Ndlovu said people in rural Zimbabwe did not even
understand the term RTGS dollar.
“Is it feasible for you to translate that into indigenous
languages so that people understand what RTGS is?” Ndlovu asked.
Ncube said there was no need to translate the RTGS dollar
to the indigenous languages of Zimbabwe.
“Real Time Settlement System (RTGS) is actually our dollar.
You just tell the people that RTGS is our dollar, just that. They can pay
through Ecocash and swipe, while others may use the bond notes. The bond notes
and RTGS are equal. This is our position as government. There is no need for us
to explain that in indigenous languages. It is just our dollar ,” Ncube said.
Newsday
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