Parliament calls on government to investigate Kasukuwere over Marange–Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust within 14 days

HON. WADYAJENA:

4.11.3 The Minister reiterated that he did not discuss the pledge with Mr. Machacha whom he claimed was merely a Chairman of the company. He denied ever instructing Anjin to display the USD 1.5 million dummy cheque during the launch of the CSOT. He informed the Committee that since it was government policy, Mr. Machacha was instructed by the powers that be to bring the cheque, not by the Minister. He pointed out that Mr. Machacha was just an employee or somebody who had been asked to stand in for the stakeholders. The former Minister further pointed out that he had discussed the pledges with Government, the shareholders.

4.11.4 The Committee was informed, by Hon. Minister Kasukuwere, that a position was taken by Government, the technical teams from NIEEB and the Ministry of Mines who discussed and agreed that although a percentile of Shares would be given to the community, and it was more beneficial for Government to capitalise the fund by having a seed capital of $10 million apiece. According to the Minister, it was a result of various discussions by Ministry officials that government reached an agreement on the amount to be paid with the Ministry of Mines who were the major shareholders of the 50-50% joint ventures.  The Committee learnt that Hon. Minister Kasukuwere had not engaged General Mhlanga, CEO of Mbada Diamonds or even AFFEC shareholders who owned 50% of both Anjin Investments and Jinan mining entities. He pointed out that these entities were treated differently from the private companies because these were State linked entities. He emphasised that the understanding that $10 million apiece be availed to the CSOT was agreed to by all officials. He, however, refused to mention the names of the so called higher offices that he consulted or had given him directives to strike some working arrangement with the Ministry of Mines.

4.12 Honourable Obert Mpofu, then Minister of Mines and Mining Development

4.12.1 The former Minister submitted that his then Ministry facilitated the actualisation of the indigenisation law but the implementation and administration fell under the purview of the Ministry of Youth.  He outlined that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development was not involved in the engagement of diamond mining companies. He maintained that he had no recollection of any kind of correspondence from the former Minister of Youth, Hon. Minister Kasukuwere, it be on the pledges made by Diamond Mining companies or inviting him to the launch of the M-Z CSOT.  He pointed out that, “This is a serious decision that would require proper documentation of that arrangement and you do not discuss such major transactions verbally. If there was such arrangement, they should have been some documentation to that effect and I am not aware of that documentation”.

4.12.2 He submitted that he did not remember entering into any agreement with ZMDC on making any pledges. He further denied the existence of any agreement, documentation or discussion arrangements on the USD 10 million pledges neither by the five diamond mining companies nor between the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and ZMDC. He stated that he had no recollection whatsoever of any directive that was made from the Cabinet or from anywhere to his then Ministry regarding the USD 50 million pledges by the five mining companies in Chiadzwa. He further distanced himself from the activities of Hon. Minister Kasukuwere stating that he was never invited to participate at the launch of the Marange-Zimunya CSOT which was strange considering that mining firms fell under his ambit.

Continued next page

(648 VIEWS)