Was Chombo Mugabe’s number two?

Far from it, on paper that is. Ignatius Chombo was one of the longest serving Ministers of Local Government holding that post from 2000 to 2015. But according to one of the emails released under the Epstein Files, Chombo is reported to have been one of the influential members one had to have dinner with because he was the number two man in Zimbabwe.

The email, sent in February 2011, said Chombo ran a diamond industry “and most of the country”.

At the time Chombo was not even in the presidium of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front which included the two vice-presidents and the national chairman and sometimes the secretary for administration.

He was appointed secretary for administration from 2013 to 2017.

But Chombo was one of the richest men in the country. According to the divorce papers filed by his wife Marian in 2012 he had 98 properties, 15 vehicles, 10 companies and investments in mines and safari lodges. 

But who knows, he could have been Mugabe’s de facto number two in terms of influence.

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