Team Pachedu, a Zimbabwean political and social media group, has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of selling the country’s land to foreign investors. The group alleged that in 2018, the President dished out 54,650 hectares of land to Belarusian “investors” for gold mining in Manicaland and Mashonaland East.
According to the group, this amounts to 546.5 square kilometers of land, which is slightly greater than the size of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. The group, using the hashtag #GoldMafia, claimed that the President’s actions were tantamount to a betrayal of Zimbabwean citizens.
Investigations by the group revealed that the gold mining company, Zim Goldfields, was registered in Zimbabwe in April 2018. The “investors” reportedly owned 70% of the shares under a UK shell company, Midlands Goldfields. The remaining 30% of the shares were owned by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC).
However, leaked documents from the 2021 Pandora Papers reportedly revealed that the actual secret owners of Midlands Goldfields were Aleksandr Zingman and Sergei Sheiman, both from Belarus. The UK shell company was registered under a proxy director, Robert Michael Friedberg.
The allegations made by Team Pachedu have caused a stir in Zimbabwe, with many citizens expressing their anger and frustration. The group called for an immediate investigation into the matter and for the President to be held accountable for his actions.
This is not the first time that President Mnangagwa has been accused of selling Zimbabwe’s resources to foreign investors. In 2019, the government signed a controversial deal with a Chinese company to mine coal in Hwange National Park, a move that was met with widespread condemnation.
As Zimbabwe struggles with economic challenges, including hyperinflation and food shortages, the allegations made by Team Pachedu have highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the country’s dealings with foreign investors.
Source – Masimba News