UNITED STATES-based music legend Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo has spoken on the recent Gold Mafia documentary aired by International news channel, Al Jazeera recently.
Gold Mafia is a four-part documentary by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) that exposed a clique of gold smuggling gangs in southern Africa that helps criminals launder hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Gold Mafia investigation shows how gold is used in money laundering schemes using a complex web of companies, counterfeit identities and fake documents.
The investigation exposed the involvement of high-ranking officials from Zimbabwe in smuggling and money laundering, purpotedly to help the country get around the Western-imposed sanctions.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador at large and self-styled Prophet Uebert Angel, Henrietta Rushwaya and other government officials were implicated in the shenanigans.
Mukanya, a critic of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's regime, felt Zimbabweans let themselves down by not reacting to the gold smuggling and money laundering allegations.
“One would never understand Zimbabweans; there is overwhelming evidence that was laid bare on global television, but no action has been taken to hold those implicated to account.
It’s all in the public domain how the precious metal meant to develop the country has been abused by a few and how money is moved inside and outside the country illegally yet the health, education and industry sectors are in dire conditions,” said Mapfumo in an interview with the Standard Style.
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Mapfumo went on to sensationally claim that the country’s ancestors have cursed Zimbabwe and gave it Mnangagwa as punishment.
“This country and its people have derailed from their culture and values. Zimbabweans now act like Western people. A nation, which loses its culture and values loses itself, no wonder our ancestors have turned their backs against us. That's why Zimbabwe is being ruled by thieves and gold smugglers, it’s a punishment,"he said.
“Now that you know what happens in the country and how the elites are creating loads of wealth for themselves and their families, what have the people done? Nothing has been done and everyone is acting normal yet taxpayers' money is being abused.”
Mapfumo urged Zimbabweans to find peaceful means to oust Mnangagwa as they will never do that through the ballot box.
“Zimbabweans must understand who they are really dealing with Mnangagwa took over power from Mugabe in an unconstitutional manner and he will never let go of that power simply through a ballot box.
“People in Zimbabwe must wake up and smell the coffee, forget about elections, go out in the streets and remove the oppressor. We have seen this happen in other countries such as Egypt and that’s the only way you can remove this leadership, which has dragged the country into poverty,” said Mapfumo in an earlier interview with the Standard Style.
Mapfumo started protest music when he sang against the Ian Smith regime during the colonial era. He went on to criticise the former president Robert Mugabe's rule, leading to forced exile after he was targeted by the Mugabe regime.
Mapfumo describes Mnangagwa’s rule as worse than Mugabe’s. He claims that Mnangagwa is a ruthless killer, who must not be taken lightly.
