Mawere is a South African citizen

Mawere is a South African citizen

MAWERE

• Mawere gets R50 000 bail

• Mawere arrested by Interpol in SA Mutumwa Mawere

• Makamba repatriates externalised forex

• Court thwarts Makamba's freedom bid

• Makamba released, rearrested

• Makamba faces 22 forex offences

• Makamba arrested

By Dumisani Muleya and Augustine Mukaro and agencies

ZIMBABWEAN business magnate Mutumwa Mawere who was arrested in South Africa on Tuesday is a South African, according to shock new revelations.

Mawere was released on R50 000 bail on Thursday and faces extradition to Zimbabwe to face charges of externalising millions of dollars in foreign currency.

South African police spokesperson Mary Martins-Elbrecht told the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper that Mawere had dual citizenship which is an offence in Zimbabwean law.

It is understood that Zimbabwean authorities want to interview Mawere over the alleged under-invoicing of asbestos exports through Southern Asbestos Sales in Johannesburg, after the Zimbabwean government exempted asbestos from having to be sold through the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.

"He has dual citizenship and it's up to the courts to determine whether he can be extradited to Zimbabwe or not," Elbrecht is quoted as saying.

Mawere becomes the second close ally of Preident Robert Mugabe to be found to have dual citizenship after the Finance Minister, also arrested for externalising foreign currency, was outed as a Canadian citizen.

On Thursday, Mawere, one of Zimbabwe's richest businessman who recently paid more than R7-million to acquire a 60 percent stake in the plush Kilimanjaro nightclub, slammed Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono for "displaying venom" in his duties.

Mawere said Gono was pursuing individuals and companies on trumped-up charges and in the process destroying the foundation of indigenous businesses as well as the economy at large.

"It is unfortunate and regrettable that Zimbabwe has sunk so low. For someone like me who has done so much for Zimbabwe to be accused on the basis of trumped-up charges shows that something has gone terribly wrong somewhere," Mawere said.

"Whose interests are being served by this crusade is not clear. What is clear though is that it is destroying the foundations of black business in Zimbabwe and replacing them with a RBZ governor who wants to be chief executive of Zimbabwe Inc."

Mawere said it was "appalling" to see a country engaged in an act of self-destruction "with Gono exerting more energy in hounding individuals - as if he was a police commissioner - than working on economic recovery.

"Sound economic policies can never be substituted with a display of venom and arresting individuals. People can try that but they will fail in ensuring economic recovery," he said.

"If Zimbabweans spend more time reasoning together on issues than throwing each other into cells it would be better for all of us. RBZ governors in history have been known to focus on core issues than spending time arresting people."

Mawere said the allegations against him were largely baseless while some were actually lies.

Mawere has rejected the allegations of externalisation, saying he was not a Zimbabwean resident and did not sit on his companies' boards.

It was not possible to confirm reports that Mawere was exposed by a whistleblower who had met a Zimbabwean investigating team from the Reserve Bank and police.

Mawere gained prominence in the mid-1990s after he bought the country's largest asbestos mining conglomerate, Shabani/Mashava Mines, which is part of the huge Africa Resources Ltd, with a sovereign guarantee

Mawere's business empire which has tentacles in almost all important sectors of the economy includes Africa Associated Mines. He also has confirmed interests in eight listed companies, General Beltings, Steelnet, Turnall, Fidelity Life, Zimre, Nicoz Diamond, CFI Holdings and First Bank. His firm Ukubambana/Kubatana Investments (UKI) also has large stakes in other listed companies.

In 1996, Mawere - who had previously worked for the International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank - teamed up with the ruling party to start one of Zimbabwe's major banks, the First Banking Corporation.

Until recently, Mawere was considered President Mugabe's closest business crony. He is also a blue-eyed boy of Zimbabwe's Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa whose influence has waned in recent weeks after Zanu PF instituted a probe into it's own companies which have been under Mnangagwa's management.
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