Sakupwanya’s Empire Built on Fraud, Blood, Dirty Gold
Despite losing in the 23 August national elections, gold baron Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, who is close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his sons, has ascended to become a legislator after lavishing cash and gifts on restive locals of Mabvuku-Tafara in an ostentatious campaign.
This week, Sakupwanya, a Zanu PF candidate, was forced to replace the well-liked Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi of the main opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), who was recalled by the phoney secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu.
This was a blatant attempt to rob Mabvuku-Tafara voters by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).
Despite a ground-breaking campaign marked by gifts and cash, Sakupwanya lost the Mabvuku parliamentary seat to Kufahakutizwi in August, demonstrating the connection between money and the needs and desires of the public.
The grand finale of Sakupwanya’s campaign was the multimillionaire former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s visit to Mabvuku, which was supposedly made to advance the sport in Zimbabwe.
However, throughout his brief visit, Mayweather seemed to be advocating for Sakupwanya and Zanu PF.
In August, Kufahakutizwi was elected as a member of parliament by the people. However, this week, recalls led by controversial activist Sengezo Tshabangu, who is thought to be collaborating with the ruling party, state security agents, resentful political opportunists, the executive branch, Parliament, and the judiciary, resulted in Kufahakutizwi’s removal from office.
The Mabvuku-Tafara dispute is splattered with blood and lies. Following Kufahakutizwi’s recall, the erratic and nonsensical Tshabangu claimed it was an error.
In order to verify his eligibility for the by-election, the CCC candidate filed a lawsuit, but the same Tshabangu objected to his action.
Zec intervened in the meanwhile, claiming that the High Court had also disqualified Kufahakutizwi.
Zec exposed the blatant fraud and proclaimed Sakupwanya to be legitimately elected without opposition by using that network of lies and gaslighting the population.
Pastor Tapfumaneyi Masaya, a cornerstone of Kufahakutizwi’s campaign, was brutally kidnapped and killed in cold blood by thugs allegedly associated with Sakupwanya in the days leading up to the by-elections.
Although Masaya’s friends, family, and relatives anticipated that the police would do more than simply retrieve his body, not much has been done to solve the cold-blooded murder of their loved one.
The identities of the attackers with ties to Sakupwanya and the Zanu PF were sent to the police, but they have taken no action despite being provided with the names of the suspects, who are still on the loose.
Eventually, Sakupwanya is now MP through brazen fraud and blood-spilling typical of Zanu PF throughout its history.
To fund his campaign, more blood has been shed through mining operations at Redwing Mine in Manicaland where his company Better Brands has been extracting gold under controversial circumstances, endangering the lives of artisanal miners who are being subjected to horrific working conditions.
The mine, formerly under Metallon Gold (Pvt) Ltd, is now occupied by Sakupwanya and some senior civil servants. He used proceeds from the mine to build a war chest for President Mnangagwa in the 2023 general election.
Better Brands (Pvt), with over 132 claims in Penhalonga alone, currently manages mining and milling operations at Redwing Mine.
The company contracts artisanal and small-scale miners to extract and surrender ore to them, which has become a new mining model, as the company seeks to reduce operational costs.
Villagers and civil society organisations operating in Penhalonga have been complaining about the increase in the deaths of gold panners, with 26 dying at Redwing Mine in January alone.
In January, the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) moved in to briefly halt operations over fatalities and environmental degradation concerns, but the resumption of operations in March saw more miners dying.
While the reasons behind the deaths have varied, the director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), Farai Maguwu, told The NewsHawks in April: “That entire enterprise is something that is operating against our environmental laws. There were two deaths that were recorded last week because of the unsafe mining practices, whereby when they go down digging, there are some chemicals that produce very toxic gases.”
“So, when people go in there, and they do not have these oxygen tanks, they get intoxicated and die instantly. That is how the two guys died last week. And then, you have the environmental destruction whereby these people operate outside the law. They do not reclaim their pits after they finish mining,” Maguwu said.
Better Brands has also been minting money from the government’s Gold Incentives Scheme (GIS), which has been used to fund the ostentatious political campaigns.
In 2021, Better Brands pocketed US$460 million in revenue at the expense of artisanal and small-scale miners. Sakupwanya got 5% for every 20kgs of gold delivered by artisanal miners.
Mining activity by artisanal miners working under Better Brands has been leaving a trail of destruction, with hazardous chemicals being deposited into Penhalonga’s Lake Alexander which supplies over 25% of the City of Mutare’s drinking water, sparking fears of a health hazard.
Illicit miners in the area have been engaging in alluvial gold mining, which has seen the unchecked use of mercury and cyanide, both used in the extraction of gold.
Sakupwanya was also revealed as President Mnangagwa’s runner in the controversial Gold Mafia documentary by Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera, which assisted him in amassing a war fund for the 2023 elections.
The scandal made clear how tightly-knit syndicates, all associated with Mnangagwa, had collaborated with the government to smuggle gold and launder money.
According to the research, which reveals that Zimbabwe loses at least 200 kilogrammes of gold per month, Sakupwanya received a call from notorious prophet Uebert Angel, who offered him money to purchase gold from undercover reporters masquerading as criminals.
Accepting the deal, he pledged to pay 10% interest.
When asked how he could send money to the undercover reporters by Angel, Sakupwanya said that he could send money wherever in the globe. He further stated on the call that he had sold six tonnes of gold in ten months.
“I suppose I could put in 10% a month. It is dependent upon their place of origin (the investors). I can deposit money into their Dubai account if they are from Dubai. Anywhere is acceptable. I can transfer to any location on the planet. In the phone conversation, Sakupwanya states, “Not a problem for me.”
According to Angel, who was keen on ensuring that the job to launder money did not go to Ewan McMillan so that he remained in control, Sakupwanya has managed to keep his wealth, proceeds of gold, due to his loyalty to Mnangagwa.
“Because he is (pointing above, to indicate that he is Mnangagwa’s man) … and the President,” Angel said in the documentary.
He said Sakupwanya had surpassed his former boss and smuggler MacMillan, even taking over his moniker “Mr Gold” to become “The New Mr Gold”.
He is Zimbabwe’s largest buyer of gold. While displaying an image of Sakupwanya on his phone to undercover reporters, Angel declares, “He is right there, he’s in his house sitting on five million.”
“This individual once cleaned Ewan MacMillan’s vehicle.” It was MacMillan who employed him. Scott is the best.
Without a question, number one. We can give him a call immediately.
Source | NewsHawks
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