Kereke drags in ministers, police

By Chengetai Zvauya and Fungi Kwaramba

HARARE – Bikita West Member of Parliament, Munyaradzi Kereke’s fight with his former boss and ex-Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, is sucking in all security structures of the government, ministers and politicians.

Kereke, a former advisor to Gono for nearly a decade at the central bank, claims that Gono looted millions of dollars and implies in court papers that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the military connived with Gono and benefitted millions of dollars from the country’s top bank.

The legal battle between Gono and Kereke, which now looks like a political sub-plot, is degenerating into a public exposure of State secrets where it is expected that details will emerge on sensitive issues like how the CIO, army and police used millions of dollars from the RBZ.

The general public wants the battle to go to court so that they understand how their millions were used by police, the military and CIO as being alleged by Kereke.

At the same time, the deadly legal battle contains all the hallmarks of a bitter succession fight to replace the soon-to-be 90 years old, President Robert Mugabe.

In his answering affidavit submitted to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday last week, Kereke is pushing for a probe by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) into alleged illicit dealings which he says prejudiced the State of millions of dollars at the country’s top bank during the turbulent years when the bank was headed by Gono.

While Kereke is an independent legislator for Bikita West, Gono could make an entrance in the Senate, on a Zanu PF ticket.

In affidavits filed at the Constitutional Court, Kereke claims that Gono dished out millions of dollars to the police, CIO and army. These security structures are supposed to be funded from Treasury.

Kereke makes sensational accusations, dragging in names of police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri, Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa, deputy minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Supa Mandiwanzira, former police commissioner Oliver Chibage and Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairperson Themba Mliswa.

Kereke claims that he is now living in fear of a “mafia” hired by Gono to silence him.

In the court papers lodged by Kereke at the High Court, the lawmaker describes an encounter with Temba Mliswa in 2012 at a local hotel.

“As we had just started eating our lunch, Mr Themba Mliswa arrived in the company of Mr Supa Mandiwanzira and other gentlemen as they sat on the table next to ours, Mr Themba Mliswa came to where I was and started shouting insults at me, threatening to beat me up,” reads part of Kereke’s affidavit.

“Iwe (you) Kereke who do you think you are fighting me and Gono? We are going to send our mafia on you and you will not live to see your children grow.

“Why did you tell the Anti-Corruption Commission that Gono and I are involved in your claims that we stole US$6,5 million?”

According to Kereke, that was not the end of the encounter with Mliswa.

He claims that Mliswa went on to shout, “Go and tell Chihuri (Police Commissioner General) and Oliver Chibage (former police commissioner) your friends that I will come after them as well.”

“We are going to fix you; we will send you six feet under before this year ends. Chihuri wako na (your friends Chihuri and Chibage) Chibage will die too and no one will protect them and the mafia will sort you out”.

Zanu PF Manicaland province nominated Gono to fill the senatorial post left vacant following the death of Kumbirai Kangai last year, but it has not been smooth sailing for the former RBZ boss, with the onslaught by Kereke being the latest.

In the court papers,  the factional lines in Zanu PF are clear with Kereke claiming that Mliswa boasted that Mutasa is “in control of Zanu PF”.

“You think you…will control Zanu PF. This will not happen and you will never get anywhere as long as Sekuru (uncle) Didymus Mutasa (minister of state for presidential affairs and Zanu PF secretary for administration) is alive and in control of Zanu PF,” said Mliswa.

Despite making a police report after his alleged nasty encounter with Mliswa, Kereke claims that nothing has happened and he is no longer safe. The unfolding drama is likely to leave Zanu PF with egg on face analysts warned, predicting dirty linen is going to be washed in public. Daily News