Kudakwashe Tagwirei

Sakunda

Tagwirei founded Sakunda Holdings in 2005.

Landela Mining Ventures

The company is a joint venture partner in the Russian-led Darwendale platinum mine project. In October 2019, a statement issued by Great Dyke Investments (GDI), the company developing the mine, announced that Landela and Afromet JSC now have equal 50% stakes in the project. Afromet JSC is 100% owned by Russia’s investment and industrial group Vi Holding, which had spearheaded the Darwendale project since its inception in 2013.^[2] Landela Mining is mentioned on p31 Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe under the Case Study 5 The Mining Cartels.

More recently Landela Mining (Pvt) Ltd, which is allegedly owned by Kuda Tagwirei, (Reuters. Zimbabwe’s Landela agrees to buy state-owned gold mines, seeks more assets. 3 July 2020), (Smith, P & Chikowore, F. Zimbabwe: The Mnangagwa squad. 6 November 2020), (International Crisis Group. All That Glitters is Not Gold: Turmoil in Zimbabwe’s Mining Sector. 24 November 2020.) acquired the 50% stake in GDI held by Pen East Mining Company. (Dzirutwe, M. Russia-Zimbabwe platinum JV to secure phase 1 funding by end of year. Reuters, 1 September 2020)

CBZ Holdings

In July 2019, it was reported that Tagwirei possibly held about 30% shares of one of Zimbabwe's largest banks, CBZ Holdings.

Prominent journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin'ono posted on twitter:

“A government insider has given me documents that suggest that the CBZ shares owned by Kuda Tagwirei are now above 30%. Why is this important? These are the same people who were getting US$ at 1 to 1 at the RBZ & were running Command Agriculture where US$3b can’t be accounted for!” ^[3]

Gold

Kudakwashe Tagwirei's involvment in gold mining is mentioned on p31 Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe under the Case Study 5 The Mining Cartels.

Kudakwashe Tagwirei is alleged to have recently moved into the gold mining sector through Mauritius-based Sotic International, (Africa Confdential. Inside the state capture project. 27 August 2020.) Sotic has acquired Bindura Nickel Company (BNC), Freda Rebecca gold mine, Shamva Mine (newZWire. Tagwirei’s Sotic completes BNC takeover in Z$3.4 billion share deal. newZWire, 22 September 2020.) and a coal-bed methane concession. (Nyathi, P. Kuda Tagwirei’s Sakunda Granted Methane Concession Taken Away From ZCDC. Zimeye, 19 July 2020) These assets are mined by Landela Mining Venture (Pvt) Ltd. (Njini, F & Marawanyika, G. Zimbabwe Gold Mines Lure Investor Despite Economic Ruin. Bloomberg, 10 July 2020) Landela’s CEO is David Brown, a former CEO of Implats (Business Day. Former Implats head David Brown to lead Zimbabwe-Russia platinum joint venture. Business Day, 23 October 2019.), which owns Zimplats and half of Mimosa (Implats. 2020. Annual Integrated Report). Brown is therefore the former boss of Winston Chitando, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, since Chitando was employed at Mimosa before becoming Minister. (Chingwere, I. Mimosa not replacing Chitando. The Herald, 5 April 2018)

Involvement in Command Agriculture

Tagwirei was credited for mobilising finance for government’s Command Agriculture. However, Command Agriculture was a government programme funded through the issuance of treasury bills. Opposition parties alleged the programme to be an illegal parallel programme of the State, specifically designed to pursue a narrow electoral agenda to securing a Zanu PF victory at the 2018 harmonised elections.^[4]

Under investigation by the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation

In October 2018, NewsDay alleged that Sakunda Holdings owner Kuda Tagwirei was under investigation by the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation. Tagwirei who has close ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration was reported to have been called in for questioning over his alleged role in the foreign currency black market. Newsday reported that the police and CIO also wanted to raid Tagwirei’s home but were unable to do so after the businessman left Harare and accompanied Constantino Chiwenga to Wedza aboard a military helicopter.^[5]

Buying luxury Cars for Mnangagwa, Chiwenga and Mohadi

In October 2018 it was reported by the NewsDay that Kudakwashe Tagriwrei had bought luxury cars worth millions of dollars for Emmerson Mnangagwa, Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as well as for their wives and other top government officials.

Another allegation levelled was that Tagwirei also used the same opportunity to import his three luxury cars duty-free.^[6]

In January 2020 court papers submitted by Vice President Chiwenga's lawyers, in the case between Chiwenga and Marry Chiwenga, revealed that Tagwirei had indeed bought vehicles for the VP and his wife using Command Agriculture:

Kuda Tagwirei Cars Chiwenga Marry

Constantino Chiwenga and Marry High court papers

(i) The Toyota Lexus, Registration Number AEO 5948 belongs to the Respondent allocated to him under the Command Agriculture Programme to supervise the programme countrywide. That said vehicles registration papers are with Command Agriculture.

(ii) Mercedes Benz S400 Registration Number AEC 1846 is Ministry of Defence Vehicle purchased for use by the Respondent when he was Commander Defence Forces. All the paper work is with the Ministry of Defence.

(iii) Mercedes Benz E350 (Silver) was given to the Respondent as an escort vehicle for the children by Mr Kuda Tagwireyi. Like the two above they do not belong to the Applicant in any way or at all.

Large foreign currency allocation per month

In October 2018 Christopher Mutsvangwa alleged that Kudakwashe Tagwirei received the bulk of the foreign currency allocations from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe yet he does not earn any forex himself. Mutsvangwa said that Tagwirei’s business takes away money from the people who earn the actual foreign currency such as tobacco farmers and gold panners.^[7]

Personal Life

Father's death

Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s father Phineas Tagwirei passed away in 2018. He suc­cumbed to prostate can­cer at Trauma Cen­tre in Bor­row­dale. His father's death halted government business as virtually all ministers abandoned their workstations to attend his burial. Emmerson Mnangagwa and Constantino Chiwenga also attended the funeral.^[4]

Kudakwashe Tagwirei at His Father's funeral

US/UK Sanctions List

Tagwirei was added on the US official sanctions list on 5 August 2020 for his involvement in government activities that are leading to lack of respect for human rights by the Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration.

See [1]utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+co%2FhyCZ+%28Pindula+News+2020%29 22 July 2021.

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References