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Tagwirei shifts assets after US, UK sanctions

Published

4 years ago

August 13, 2021

BY FELIX NJINI AND ANTONY SGUAZZIN

Zimbabwe’s government is pressing ahead with a plan to combine its mining assets under a massive private-public enterprise, even as evidence mounts that the project could be linked to a tycoon sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom

Previously unreported documents, including correspondence among executives and shareholders, show that weeks after Kudakwashe Tagwirei was sanctioned by the US, his Mauritius-based Sotic International Ltd. began planning to shift its assets to a newly created Zimbabwean holding company — Ziwa Resources Ltd.

Ziwa is the only private shareholder in the partnership, called Kuvimba Mining House Ltd.

Zimbabwe government officials have repeatedly denied that Tagwirei has any connection to Kuvimba.

But Bloomberg in May reported that Kuvimba holds assets that were until at least late last year part-owned by Tagwirei, citing company documents, emails and transcripts of WhatsApp conversations between executives.

The government has as recently as last month declined to say how Kuvimba came to possess the assets, which include choice mineral deposits and mines that it says are worth $2 billion.

Tagwirei, an advisor to Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was sanctioned by the US on August 5 last year on allegations that he used political influence to gain access to scarce foreign currency and win lucrative deals.

The US linked him to the disappearance of $3 billion from a farm-subsidy program, and the UK sanctioned him last month for similar reasons.

Under the US sanctions, Tagwirei is effectively cut off from international financial markets.

The ruling prohibits US citizens from doing business with him, and his assets in the U.S. are frozen and must be reported to the US Treasury.

Tagwirei didn’t answer calls made to his mobile phone for this story.

Known locally as “Queen Bee,” Tagwirei’s influence over the Zimbabwean economy is so deep that US and UK officials have said payments made to him helped trigger a collapse in Zimbabwe’s currency and contributed to runaway inflation, including drastic increases in the price of food.

Zimbabwe last year called the U.S. sanctions racist and intended to undermine the government. – Bloomberg

National

Government unveils plan to curb road accidents

Published

3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, has outlined a series of measures to combat the rising tide of road traffic accidents in the country.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a worrying surge in road traffic accidents, with the latest incident claiming 17 lives last week, along Seke road.

Yesterday, Muswere addressed the cabinet, outlining measures to curb road traffic accidents. Below is his statement, word for word:

“So capacitation of the vehicle inspection is ongoing and the sourcing of the vehicle inspection department. Compliance to legislation is also one of the parameters that we are utilising.Standardisation in terms of driving schools, the training of drivers, speed limits as a governance to traffic monitoring, the utilisation of traffic management, the utilisation of cameras for number plate recognition and facial recognition in order to curb over speeding and traffic offences. The capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in order to apprehend and also deal with traffic offences. Legislation amendments that are taking place in order to ensure that our roads are safe. As the minister (Felix Mhona) has also highlighted that the Civil Protection Unit is being capacitated in order to deal with the challenges that we might not have been able to deal with as part of an architecture under the hall of government approach.”

Background statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police reveal a concerning trend. During the first six months of 2025, the country recorded 28 159 road traffic accidents, up from 25 968 in the same period last year. Fatal crashes also increased by 11% from 784 to 870, while road deaths rose by 4.9% from 1 037 to 1 088. The majority of accidents occur in known danger zones, often due to commuter congestion and erratic driving by public transport operators.

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Two Zimparks rangers injured in elephant attack

Published

3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Two Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) rangers were injured by elephants in the Sengwa, Chirisa Safari area yesterday, while investigating a reported case of a snared buffalo.

According to a Zimparks press statement released yesterday by their spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo, the incident occurred when the duo encountered a herd of elephants with calves, which charged at them.

A helicopter was reportedly dispatched to airlift both rangers to Harare for urgent medical attention as of yesterday afternoon.

During the chaotic scene, one ranger suffered a broken arm while fleeing, while the other was gored, sustaining severe abdominal wounds and fractures to his arm and leg.

Farawo concluded by saying that the authority’s thoughts are with the injured rangers and their families during this challenging time.

In the community

Relatives convicted of brutal assault of son-in-law over property dispute

Published

1 day ago

July 29, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Bulawayo court has concluded the case of a 65-year-old man, Abednico Maposa, who was brutally attacked by his relatives, including his wife and three brothers-in-law, over a property dispute in Swart Village, Inyathi.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, four accused individuals – Sikhanyiso Zulu, Isaac Sibanda, Cabangani Zulu, and Lucky Zulu – were on trial for assaulting Maposa.

The State alleged that on February 9, the accused persons attacked Maposa with stones, demanding a fridge and other belongings, and left him unconscious with head and body injuries.

In conclusion, the Tredgold Regional Court Magistrate in Bulawayo acquitted Sikhanyiso Zulu and Isaac Sibanda due to insufficient evidence.

Cabangani Zulu and Lucky Zulu were convicted and sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, with 6 months suspended and an additional 18 months suspended on condition that they complete 630 hours of community service.