Opinion / Columnist
Govt must demand answers from Gold Mafia kingpins
12 May 2023 at 06:24hrs | Views
DEAR President Mnangagwa,
So the news out there is that your government has written to Al Jazeera demanding evidence. At least that breaks the silence, but the demand is a bit suspicious. My view is that government should have demanded evidence from the people who featured in the Gold Mafia documentary.
Al Jazeera's role was to expose what was happening by airing the documentary. Why does the government not take a cue from the British government which is investigating its citizens who were implicated?
Known people featured in the video, but we have not heard the government demanding explanations.
In my view, which is shared by many, Al Jazeera played its part to expose the rot as part of its investigative journalism and authorities should demand answers from those implicated in the scam.
Government should have suspended its ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel pending investigation if it is serious about curbing corruption. Government should also have questioned First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and Henrietta Rushwaya who were allegedly called by Angel and were heard talking to him over the phone in the documentary.
Since this is a serious matter, Angel should be pressed to identify the people he called.
If government is not willing to investigate, it is my hope that the United Kingdom government can, in its investigation of Angel, establish the phone numbers he called.
Also worrying is the fact that while Angel said they were actually investigating the Al Jazeera team indicating that the country's intelligence was involved, the Central Intelligence Organisation has disowned the claim.
Cleopas Chidodo has since made an apology that he falsely implicated former First Lady Grace Mugabe, and Angel and his team should consider following suit since lies have short legs.
Zanu-PF must stop playing games with the people of Zimbabwe.
Enough is enough.
So the news out there is that your government has written to Al Jazeera demanding evidence. At least that breaks the silence, but the demand is a bit suspicious. My view is that government should have demanded evidence from the people who featured in the Gold Mafia documentary.
Al Jazeera's role was to expose what was happening by airing the documentary. Why does the government not take a cue from the British government which is investigating its citizens who were implicated?
Known people featured in the video, but we have not heard the government demanding explanations.
In my view, which is shared by many, Al Jazeera played its part to expose the rot as part of its investigative journalism and authorities should demand answers from those implicated in the scam.
Government should have suspended its ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel pending investigation if it is serious about curbing corruption. Government should also have questioned First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and Henrietta Rushwaya who were allegedly called by Angel and were heard talking to him over the phone in the documentary.
Since this is a serious matter, Angel should be pressed to identify the people he called.
If government is not willing to investigate, it is my hope that the United Kingdom government can, in its investigation of Angel, establish the phone numbers he called.
Also worrying is the fact that while Angel said they were actually investigating the Al Jazeera team indicating that the country's intelligence was involved, the Central Intelligence Organisation has disowned the claim.
Cleopas Chidodo has since made an apology that he falsely implicated former First Lady Grace Mugabe, and Angel and his team should consider following suit since lies have short legs.
Zanu-PF must stop playing games with the people of Zimbabwe.
Enough is enough.
Source - newsday
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