President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/George_Charamba">George Charamba</a> has threatened to jail journalists for reporting findings of <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/watch-episode-01-of-al-jazeeras-gold-mafia/">Gold Mafia a documentary by Al Jazeera which exposes gold smuggling operations in Zimbabwe</a>.
In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, Charamba said the documentary is defamatory. He said:
<blockquote>
FRIENDLY ADVICE TO ALL RECKLESS JOURNALISTS: Al-Jazeera is not a court of law before whose claims impart privileges to defamatory utterances. It is merely some weaponised channel. If you are reckless enough to repeat what its phoney documentary defamatorily says, hoping to plead:
“I heard/saw it on Al Jazeera”, you will be sorry for yourself. Do not for once think there is no grit to act against reckless, defamatory and politically motivated journalism. Faceless Twitter names egging you on will not be a factor when brickbats come. Be warned!
</blockquote>
 Al Jazeera released the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/watch-episode-01-of-al-jazeeras-gold-mafia/">first episode</a> of the documentary titled Gold Mafia on Thursday last week.
The documentary implicates <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Henrietta_Rushwaya">Henrietta Rushwaya</a> (the president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation), <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Uebert_Angel">Uebert Angel</a> (the presidential ambassador at large to the Americas and Europe), <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Simon_Rudland">Simon Rudland</a> (the owner of Gold Leaf Tobacco), Lamkesh Pattni (the owner of Suzan General Trading – a jewellery shop), Fidelity Printers and Refineries and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
The documentary notes that there is a network of individuals who are exporting gold from Zimbabwe in exchange for dirty money from abroad. The money is then cleaned in Zimbabwe. This is said to be a move to bust sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
Rushwaya is said to be the one cleaning the dirty money.
Lamkesh Pattni, on the other hand, is allegedly <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/accountant-reveals-how-kamlesh-pattni-is-duping-zimbabwe-gold-mafia/">siphoning cash from Zimbabwe</a> in connivance with ZIMRA officials instead of bringing it from gold and jewellery proceeds. 
Smuggling in Zimbabwe:
Smuggling is a big problem in Zimbabwe, and it is hurting the country’s economy. 
The country is losing billions of dollars because of the illegal trade of goods like gold, tobacco, fuel, and diamonds. 
The government estimates <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zim-last-year-lost-30-34t-of-gold-through-smuggling/">that $1.5 billion</a> is lost each year due to gold smuggling and $300 million due to tobacco smuggling. Fuel shortages have also contributed to smuggling, which results in the loss of revenue for the government. 
Smuggling creates an uneven playing field for legitimate businesses and can increase crime and corruption. 
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

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George Charamba Has Threatened To Jail Journalists Over Al Jazeera Documentary

The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Reserve_Bank_of_Zimbabwe">Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)</a> has been asked to explain the missing US$295 million from gold exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2021.
RBZ reported that Zimbabwe exported 28 468kg of gold to UAE for US$1 604 058 775 in 2021.
However, UAE reported that it received 34 340kg of gold from Zimbabwe for US$1 898 899 693 in 2021.
This means US$294 840 918 is unaccounted for or RBZ underreported its exports by that figure. 
In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, Team Pachedu, an online political activism group, demanded to know how could UAE import more than Zimbabwe exported. Said Team Pachedu:
<blockquote>
Dear @ReserveBankZIM
You reported that Zimbabwe exported US$1.7 Billion gold worldwide in 2021, however, United Arab Emirates says that they imported US$1.9 Billion gold from Zimbabwe in 2021. How does UAE import more than what you exported? Explain the discrepancy!
</blockquote>
This comes as authorities are under fire for alleged gold illicit trade after some government officials and offices were named in Al Jazeera’s documentary – Gold Mafia – as involved in gold smuggling operations.
Episode 01 of the documentary was released last week, episode 02 is expected this Thursday.
In the documentary, Tendai Biti, a former Minister of Finance and Economic Development, claimed that Zimbabwe was losing gold worth about US$1.2 billion every year.
Government officials are denying the allegations.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

RBZ Asked To Explain US$295 Million Missing From Gold Exports To UAE

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has indefinitely suspended its plans to partially privatise Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR).
Nearly two years ago, the apex bank announced intentions to dispose of its 60% controlling stake in the entity, the Zimbabwe Independent reported.
The shelved plan to privatise was premised on plugging widespread gold smuggling which is estimated to prejudice the country US$1.5 billion annually.
Plans to sell the government’s 60% controlling stake in FPR were first announced by the RBZ in 2020 and reinforced during the course of 2021.
If the partial privatisation plan had been carried out successfully, the central bank would have retained 40% of FPR.
In 2021, the Independent reported that Kuvimba Mining House, Better Brands, RioZim, Caledonia, Pan Africa Mining, Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) and Yellow Credit were potentially angling to take over the country’s sole gold buyer.
The publication also reported that the transaction, then valued at US$49 million, was derailed by reservations expressed by some of the private players over Kuvimba whose shareholding structure and beneficial owners remain shrouded in mystery.
There were also fears that once privatised, the entity would be under the US sanctions radar.
Formed in 2020, Kuvimba is now among the country’s largest gold producers having bought lucrative gold assets across the country, including the Shamva Mine, Freda Rebecca, and those of Elvington, Jena, Golden Kopje and Sandawana mines owned by Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC).
If the transaction had sailed through, Kuvimba was going to hold 12% equity in the reconfigured FDR.
RBZ governor John Mangudya last week told the Independent that the planned privatisation of FPR was “no longer a priority” to the apex bank. He said:
<blockquote>
The suspension of the privatisation of FPR was done by the RBZ board which deemed it necessary to retain FPR in its current state. The matter is no longer a priority to RBZ.
</blockquote>
However, Mangudya did not explain why the government had made a U-turn on its initial plans to cede its controlling stake in FPR.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

RBZ Suspends Plans To Partially Privatise Fidelity Printers And Refiners

Policymakers in Zimbabwe have been accused of inaction on illicit gold trade that has seen the Southern African country losing billions of United States dollars.
An independent group lobbying for the promotion of human rights and environmental protection, the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) in its report, Decrypting Illicit Gold Trade in Zimbabwe, says policymakers are fully aware of the key actors in illicit gold trading but they are not taking necessary measures to curb these fraudulent activities. Reads part of the report:
<blockquote>_ The culture of transparency and accountability must be fostered for a fighting chance against illicit gold trade. Government institutions involved in gold production and trade have lowered the bar for the illicit gold trade to flourish. It appears that policy-makers are aware of some of the key actors behind illicit gold trade, but tightening the noose around these illicit actors is proving to be elusive._</blockquote>
The report is a preliminary investigation of Zimbabwe’s illicit gold trade, covering activities for the three years from 2017 to 2019.
The investigative report was premised on shedding more light and offering a fresh perspective on the nature and extent of the illicit gold trade in Zimbabwe.
The report also observed that over the past three years, the United Arab Emirates emerged as a leading gold export destination while South Africa which used to be the dominant player assumed a retreating role. Further reads the report:
<blockquote>_Interestingly, the key developments in the gold industry coincided with the changes in government in November 2017. New actors assumed the reins of government, and these actors had a longstanding but allegedly murky history of involvement in the illicit gold trade._</blockquote>
SARW recommends that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Mining and Mining Development and the Budget Finance and Economic Development make a combined inquiry into illicit gold trade, to hold the executive accountable for illicit gold trade players who appear to be untouchable.
It also urged the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to increase efforts to curb corruption and illicit gold trade, targeting public institutions like RBZ, FPR and MMMD, and gold buyers.
SARW also called for the permanent abolishment of gold incentives adding that the government must focus on fair payment for gold deliveries for competitiveness against the illicit gold trade.
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a>

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