ED’s baker buys state-owned Zimglass. Today Kwande is known for another matter. His company Brainman Investments, has acquired Zimbabwe Glass Holdings (Zimglass) for US$22 million in what the state-owned paper Herald called a development likely to pave way for the revival of the country’s sole glass manufacturer.
The name Douglas Kwande has, in the past months, been associated with a controversial picture of him and President Emmerson Mnangagwa seated inside a car with bread awkwardly placed between them.
Zimglass was owned by state-owned Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe, which is in the processing of restructuring some of its subsidiaries and associate firms.
Herald interviewed Zimglass liquidator one Winseley Militala who was quoted saying, “The deal is sealed. The money has been paid and we are now working on paying off all creditors.”
In August 2019 Kwande was fingered by Zimmorning Post as part of the lot alleged to be behind illegal mining operations at Gaika which claimed the gold was destined for the First Family.
The online publication said some of the artisanal miners who spoke to them during the illegal operations era at Gaika absolved Mnangagwa and revealed that they declared half of the loot to senior party officials, implicating former Mbizo MP Vongai Mupereri and Kwande.
“After mining gold, we take at least 50% and the other 50% goes to meet other expenses and it also pays a token to senior party leaders like Kwande and Mupereri. These chefs own big gold mills where we take the gold. They said they are representing the president but we later realized that all lies,” The paper quoted the miners.
Speaking to this publication, Political analyst Kelvin Mazhandu said the opposition MDC was reneging from its duty of holding state institutions liable over the decision to award the contract to controversial individuals.
“The opposition MDC is proving to be a dumb and castrated lot when it comes tom playing their role in parliament,” Mazhandu said. “The state is parcelling such powerful companies to their friends and the opposition in parliament is silent.
It boggles my mind why the opposition party is busy chasing shadows and fighting over useless things instead of delivering on its mandate to ensure there is rule of law in the country. I wonder how many decisions are being made by the state under the cover of darkness when the opposition is chasing its tail engaging in cat and mouse chase with its members.”
Source – Bulawayo24 Newa
In other news – Returnees from South Africa being given 5-year bans
Returnees from South Africa being given 5-year bans. This was revealed yesterday when 141 returnees arrived aboard three buses from Johannesburg. Immigration officials at Beitbridge were not immediately available for comment.
South African immigration officials at Beitbridge Border Post were yesterday reportedly imposing five-year bans on returning Zimbabweans without explanation…continue reading.