The Insider

Businessman Billy Rautenbach, who has been linked with several businesses involving top politicians in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, was reported to have gone into business with former English cricket player Phil Edmonds whose company was involved in a dispute over oil deals in Sudan.

(58 VIEWS)

Most of the new senators elected when the upper house was reintroduced were ruling party hacks in office only to accumulate a salary and government-provided luxury cars which were going to cost the taxpayer US$4.5 million according to United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell.

(126 VIEWS)

Movement for Democratic Change legislator David Coltart told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell that though he favoured enacting a new constitution and then conducting internationally-supervised, free and fair elections, the ultimate goal was to unseat ZANU-PF in any way possible.

(77 VIEWS)

President Robert Mugabe is reported to have asked delegates to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front why the agricultural season seemed to catch the government by surprise every year.

(56 VIEWS)

Waiting for President Robert Mugabe to die was an imperfect solution but both the United States and the Dutch had been rebuffed by South African President Thabo Mbeki when they advocated a more aggressive South African posture on Zimbabwe.

(60 VIEWS)

Bulawayo business consultant Eric Bloch told United States embassy officials that central bank governor Gideon Gono sourced the US$120 million that he paid the International Monetary Fund in August from 37 separate sources in a complicated deal applying various exchange rates and terms for later access to foreign currency.

(249 VIEWS)

Renaissance Bank, which almost collapsed last year and was rescued by the National Social Security Authority, may have rescued the country seven years ago.

(81 VIEWS)

The United States embassy said it had no carrots to offer to central bank governor Gideon Gono. The only grounds for meaningful re-engagement with Zimbabwe were a commitment to the implementation of a comprehensive political and economic reform package and restoration of due process and the rule of law.

(50 VIEWS)

Former United States ambassador to Harare Christopher Dell said Zimbabwe’s ties to China were a marriage of convenience founded on their mutual self-interest rather than a sense of mutual affinity.

(84 VIEWS)

Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti said Bulawayo legislator David Coltart was more concerned about international audiences than local ones and would always be an outsider.

(41 VIEWS)