PROF MOYO: Govt U-turn on ‘Gold Mafia’ welcome but statement ‘vague and embarrassing’ – NewZimbabwe.com

By Staff Reporter

THE government’s decision to abandon its no-comment position on the ‘Gold Mafia’ scandal is ‘welcome’  but the statement issued Tuesday by information minister Monica Mutsvangwa is “manifestly vague and embarrassing in that it lends itself to multiple interpretations; some of which are cynical”.

This was said by exiled former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo in response to Mutsvangwa’s outlining government’s position on the 4-part documentary series by Qatari satellite news channel Al Jazeera exposing gold smuggling in Zimbabwe and the alleged involvement of the country’s central bank in laundering the proceeds.

Administration officials like presidential spokesperson George Charamba had, through Twitter handles linked to him, initially indicated that the government would only comment after all four episodes of the investigation had been broadcast.

However, with just two episodes broadcast to date, Senator Mutsvangwa called a press conference in Harare Tuesday where she said “Government takes the allegation raised in the documentary seriously and has directed relevant organs to institute investigations into the issues raised therein.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa

“Any person found to have engaged in acts of corruption, fraud or any form of crime, will face the full wrath of the law.”

Responding, Prof Moyo said the government U-turn was welcome.

“… it is indeed commendable that the Minister’s statement abandons the earlier official stance that the government would comment only after the fourth and last episode of the documentary has been aired,” the former information minister said on Twitter.

Prof Moyo however, took issue with the absence of key details regarding the investigation promised in the government statement.

“… it (statement) is manifestly vague and embarrassing, in that it lends itself to multiple interpretations; some of which are cynical, like that because no one in particular has been assigned to do the investigation, nothing will happen,” he said.

“Unfortunately, this might invite sentiments that the government is in fact not taking seriously the allegations of gold smuggling and money laundering made in the Al Jazeera documentary.”

He added; “And the bambazonke reference to “government” is unhelpful because it does not clarify which arm of government is leading or coordinating the investigation.

“Does ‘government’ in this case mean Cabinet? If it does, why was that not stated as per the usual norm, and, if it does not, then which government authority ‘has directed relevant organs to institute investigations into the issues raised’, and which are the ‘relevant organs’ that have been directed to institute investigations?

“Perhaps answers to these and related urgent and important questions will become clear sooner than later. Time will tell!”

Prof Moyo also said it was unacceptable that no action had been taken against Ambassador Plenipotentiary Uebert Angel.

“… if truth be told, the fact Ambassador Angel is still in his diplomatic post is disgraceful. There’s just no Ambassador like him anywhere, not even in banana republics,” he said.

“His readiness and eagerness to use his diplomatic status to entertain people who introduce themselves to him as criminals in order to facilitate their criminal intention is hair-raising.”