Source: Kurotwi petitions Mugabe over seized equipment – DailyNews Live
Blessings Mashaya 11 March 2017ts
HARARE – Core Mining and Minerals (Private) Limited director Lovemore
Kurotwi has petitioned President Robert Mugabe in a bid to recover his
seized mining equipment.
The equipment – which is worth millions of dollars – was taken by the
government after a botched mining venture, which culminated in Kurotwi
being accused of prejudicing the government of $2 billion.
Zimbabwe police in 2010 arrested six directors linked to the joint venture
firm mining diamonds in Marange on allegations of fraudulently acquiring
the concession.
The arrested executives include five officials from the State-owned
Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and Kurotwi, who was a
Zimbabwean representative of its South African partner, Core Mining and
Minerals, in the 50-50 diamond mining joint venture, Canadile Miners which
later became defunct.
Earlier efforts by Kurotwi to recover the equipment were stalled by the
trial that dragged for years.
Kurotwi was eventually acquitted in May last year, prompting him to demand
his equipment back.
In a letter to Mines minister Walter Chidakwa and copied to Mugabe,
Kurotwi accused the minister’s predecessor Obert Mpofu of confiscating
diamonds worth millions of dollars.
” . . . Mpofu confiscated 1,4 million carats of diamonds worth $140
million, $10 million and all mining equipment. The mining equipment is
currently being used by Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company to
our prejudice as the equipment is being worn out due to continued use by
an entity which has no legal ownership of the equipment.
“I strongly believe that your office should intervene as a matter of
extreme urgency because I do not deserve to continue suffering in my
country whilst my money and mining equipment was wrongly and unlawfully
seized.
“This is against the principles of indigenisation as I am being
disempowered in my own country,” Kurotwi said.
His appeal was actuated by Mugabe’s birthday speech where he encouraged
citizens to expose corruption among senior officials.
“The events which led to my disempowerment point to a clear case of
corruption by your predecessor and in light of His Excellency’s speech on
his 93rd birthday, encouraging citizens to expose corrupt activities, I
believe this matter should be investigated further by responsible
authorities.
“I also suspect that part of the money which was confiscated by . . .
Mpofu was externalised.
“Mpofu is on record for bragging about being the richest person in
Zimbabwe yet ironically his so-called riches are ill-gotten as it is my
hard-earned wealth which he illegally confiscated. That cannot be tenable.
“I would appreciate your response to my concerns as I believe we have a
government which does not turn a blind eye when there is injustice,” he
said.
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