Zimbabwe reneges on Mugabe’s immunity as Parliament summons him to answer for missing $15bn

The government of Zimbabwe may have reneged on one of the conditions given to ousted Zimbabwe President Robert to relinquish power after he was summoned by the country’s parliament to answer for $15 billion said to be missing.

Norton MP Temba Mliswa, the Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee revealed during a sitting that Mugabe is set to appear before Parliament to expand on the allegations he made in 2016 that $15 billion worth of diamond revenue went missing.

Mliswa said Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu, a former Mines minister, and his successor, Walter Chidakwa, would also be summoned for grilling over the disappearance of the diamond revenue during their tenure.

Read also: I feared Mugabe would be lynched, former aide narrates

“There are no sacred cows in terms of the oversight role of Parliament, and there is nothing that even stops us from calling Mugabe, who first mentioned the issue of the $15 billion, from appearing before Parliament and asking him how he came to know about that,” Mliswa said, without specifically mentioning when Mugabe would be summoned.

“As a new minister, Chitando might not have an answer now on the issue of the $15 billion, but, as Parliament, we have a right to call anyone who is responsible for oral evidence, including Mugabe, Chidakwa and Mpofu, who were Mines ministers when the diamonds were said to have disappeared,” Mliswa said.

Recall that a deal negotiated before the resignation of the ageing autocrat granted him immunity from prosecution and a guarantee that no action will be taken against his family’s extensive business interests.

Mugabe’s indictment is coming after George Charamba, the former spokesman of ousted leader revealed in an interview with privately owned Daily News site that he feared the 93-year-old leader would be lynched for trying to hold on to power.

During Mr Mugabe’s last week in office, he was under house arrest as the military staged a takeover which eventually ousted him and Charamba said he feared civilians could “drag out and lynch” the leader in a “Libyan scenario”.

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now