CNRG slams gold smuggling in Zimbabwe

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) is gravely concerned with the continued smuggling of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources by politically connected criminal networks.

On Sunday the 9^th of May 2021, South Africa’s Hawks Serious Organized Crime Investigation team arrested Tashinga Nyasha Masinire at OR Tambo International Airport on charges of illegally possessing 23 pieces of gold valued at R11 million or $700,000.

The gold was discovered in Masinire’s luggage and he failed to produce a permit that allows him to transport the gold.

The arrest of Masinire by South African authorities raises questions about the porosity of Zimbabwe’s ports.

The smooth departure of Masinire with his loot exposes the complicity of Zimbabwe’s immigration and security authorities in the smuggling of the country’s minerals.

The arrest of Masinire follows another high profile arrest of Zimbabwe Miners Federation President, Ms Henrietta Rushwaya in October 2020, who was found with contraband of 6kg of gold. Rushwaya is yet to be cleared by the courts and remains the President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation. It has also since emerged that Masinire is either Rushwaya’s driver or used to be one.

Zimbabwe continues to lose BILLIONS OF DOLLARS annually to organised criminal syndicates which have spread their wings from diamonds, chrome, gold, semi-precious gemstones, coal to copper, among other minerals.

The syndicates abuse their proximity to power and defraud Zimbabweans and the central government of funds that should be expanding the country’s revenue base and improving the socio-economic lives of Zimbabweans.

Today taxpayers bear a heavy burden of funding government expenditure when mineral resources are being plundered by a few.

Mineral resources are Zimbabwe’s natural wealth; wealth for current and future generations and should be exploited for the purposes of improving the social and economic conditions of every Zimbabwean.

CNRG believes that the continued smuggling of minerals through Robert Mugabe International Airport and other ports signal a lack of political will by the political leaders to address the problem or their complicit involvement with criminal networks prejudicing Zimbabwe.