Rautenbach brands Mliswa an “extortionist”
Harare – Controversial businessman Conrad “Billy” Rautenbach has branded Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman and Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa as an “extortionist” who victimised him until their relationship collapsed.
“He approached us in the capacity of an investment consultant, but when we realised that he was not sincere in his approach to business and had extortionist tendencies, we immediately cut ties with him and directed all communication through our lawyers. His submissions pertaining to our various projects are baseless falsehoods,” Rautenbach said.
Mliswa claims it was Mr Rautenbach who approached him for assistance to secure the Hwange, Unki and Chisumbanje deals, culminating in his incessant letters of demand. The dealings sucked in Didymus Mutasa, Deputy Lands Minister and Politburo member Tendai Savanhu and Basil Nyabadza.
Mliswa demanded at least US$165 million for helping the businessman secure those investments. He wanted Rautenbach to pay him US$100 million as his 10 percent shareholding in an Unki Mine concession, which he says Mr Rautenbach improperly sold for US$1 billion to British investors.
Another US$65 million demanded by Mliswa was for a stake in Green Fuel, which is producing ethanol in Chisumbanje.
Mliswa was for a while paid US$10 for every tonne of coal mined at Hwange and US$5 per tonne of coke. A tonne of coal costs no less than US$100. The coal and coke payments were subsequently stopped precipitating the letters of demands.
Rautenbach’s contract with Hwange was cancelled because, according to Mliswa, he exported the coke instead of supplying it to the thermal power station.
Mliswa accused Rautenbach of being “a criminal” who crookedly uses the country’s natural resources for personal benefit.
“I took him to every high-ranking official he knows today in Government. I was part and parcel of it. He said my shares cannot be made public because I am a Zanu-PF politician and he will not get funding. He used to pay me. He has stopped and I took the legal route.
“He then confronted high-ranking officials in Government for me to withdraw my papers. I took him to Chisumbanje on a helicopter. What did he think I was doing in that helicopter risking my life? It was not a free ride,” Mliswa said.
He said he linked Rautenbach to his uncle Mutasa and Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu. Letters between Mliswa’s lawyers and Mr Rautenbach’s legal representatives directly name Minister Mutasa, Deputy Minister Savanhu and Nyabadza.
