Gold Leaf Tobacco Zimbabwe

Gold Leaf Tobacco Zimbabwe is mentioned on p29 Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe under the Case Study 4 The Cigarette Cartels.

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The Gold Leaf Tobacco Zimbabwe (GLTZ) is owned by the Rudland family and it is alleged that the late John Bredenkamp had some beneficial ownership in the company. (van Loggerenberg, S. Tobacco Wars. 2019) The Rudlands enjoyed the patronage of Mugabe as evidenced by Mugabe leasing one of his farms to Hamish Rudland. GLTZ is headed by Simon Rudland (Sole, S. Smoke, sex and the arms deal. Mail and Guardian, 28 October

2008.), (van Loggerenberg, S. Tobacco Wars. 2019) who was once arrested for cigarette smuggling in South Africa in the mid-2000s. (Sole, S. Smoke, sex and the arms deal. Mail and Guardian, 28 October 2008.)

The cigarettes are smuggled to South Africa via rail, road and air. Lonrho Ltd stands out as a key transporter of smuggled cigarettes. Law enforcement agencies have intercepted smuggled cigarettes that have been transported via road using the South African registered Rollex (Pvt) Ltd’s haulage trucks. (Rees, M. Mugabe link to illegal cigarette trade. Sunday Times, 23 December 2013.) Rollex, founded by Paul de Robillard, is a subsidiary of Lonrho. (Rees, M. Fastjet SA directors’ tobacco smuggling links. Moneyweb, 30 June 2013.)

The Rudland family own two haulage trucking businesses, Pioneer Corporation Africa (PCA) and Unifreight Africa Limited (UAL). Law enforcement agencies have also intercepted smuggled cigarettes on an airline, Fastjet

From Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe

In September 2020, the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association abruptly announced it had terminated the membership of the Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation. ^[1]

Further Reading