By John Austin
I only encountered Rex Nhongo once in my customs career and it was not unpleasant at all. This is how I remember the incident…It was in the mid 80s as I was then collector of customs & excise in charge of Harare. My staff of about 250 then had few whites as I was only one of five left (the other four all mostly junior administration support staff of long service).
- Mujuru remained the only person in the politburo who could confront Mugabe on sensitive issues after most of the 87-year-old’s war time peers died or were sidelined
Indeed, my senior managers were all political appointees (appointed by Presidential directive after independence) and they included the likes of Wiridzayi Kwedza, George Mhiribidi, Alex Mavunga, Jephat Mujuru and Obert Moses Mpofu, an acolyte of and relative by marriage of Emmerson Mnangagwa, the head of state security at the time which included in particular, the Central Intelligence Organisation or secret police.
The Harare Custom House, at corner Angwa Street/South Avenue was abuzz one morning when General Nhongo came in to the Motor Traffic & Private Imports section in the banking hall to clear a case of Scotch Whisky he had imported from South Africa. None of the black counter officers could or would deal with his clearance.
They were all in awe of his presence and were simply at a mental crossroads of suspended animation. My advice was simple, he was not exempted from paying import dues. They all turned coy on me, expressing amazement that I could even think of charging this high-ranking “chef” import duty.
In order to demonstrate both leadership and the “without fear or favour” slogan, I attended to it myself. He was ushered into my office with his accompanying staff officer — a colonel. You could have heard a pin drop in the executive wing of the Harare Custom House.
While attending to his papers and clearance he looked around my office and noticed my Territorial Army Commissioning Parchment and three medal ribbons in a wall frame. He was interested in them, and mentioned that he did not have a Parchment.
I joked with him that he was fortunate, for his own Parchment would commission him into the new Zimbabwe National Army at the rank of General and become unique…For the ex-Rhodesian officers in the ZNA had all been commissioned 2nd Lieutenants (ex-Sandhurst or Gweru School of Infantry) or Lieutenants if commissioned from the ranks, excluding the odd professionals, such as doctors who might be commissioned as Captains.
This is because the Commissioning Parchment records the officer’s rank on date of issue, with the added words “or in such higher rank as I or the Minister of Defence may from time to time hereafter promote or appoint you”, and it was signed off by both the Head of State and the Minister of Defence.
He seemed to like this notion and asked his staff to take note, while commenting that one of my three ribbons included the Zimbabwe Independence Medal (ZIM), a medal he also had.
Concerning the import dues, I told him my calculations and requested payment to finalise clearance. He asked if I needed cash or cheque. I said that normally we required “bank certified” cheques or cash, but in his case I would have no hesitation in accepting his cheque, if that was what he preferred.
He clicked a command at his Colonel who placed a briefcase on my desk, opened it, and took out a brand new cheque book sitting on top of a packed briefcase, full of brand new $20 notes (the highest denomination in Zimbabwe at the time). When I told him the amount for the cheque, he passed the cheque book to me and asked me to complete it for him so there would be no mistake and he would simply sign it.
When I handed it back for signature, he held the pen in his fist which he pushed up and down a few times in the signature space. I was amazed to witness that this military man seemed actually to be semi-literate, although his “stammer” for which he is known for was barely noticeable. On leaving, he pulled out a $5 dollar note and to thank me for my trouble.
I told him we were not allowed to accept “gifts” but that, in this case, I would accept his gift on behalf of the Harare staff and donate the $5 to our kitty for the annual staff Christmas party. He smiled, thanked me and left with his clearance papers to go and take delivery of his case of Scotch.
I never saw the general again. I do not know what became of the $5, for the CIO under Mnangagwa had Neil Harper and me detained without trial in Chikurubi Maximum Security prison before the next Christmas came around. I hasten to add that I do not believe our wrongful detention had anything to do with the General’s Scotch clearance.
Our detention certainly had to do with drug smuggling to South Africa and car smuggling from South Africa, involving among others the CIO and their associates in the South African liberation movements, along with other cadre controlled syndicated regional activities.
While the episode with Rex Nhongo was all a bit a tense for me, he was completely pleasant and polite throughout, and went out of his way to put me at ease. Thinking back on it today, I can say that I found it exciting rather than frightening.
Whether the incident was some sort of test or not, I will never know. What I can say is that it impressed me, for it showed the General seeming to demonstrate great leadership in respect for the rule of law and payment of taxes, whether intentionally or otherwise.
There are many others in Zanu PF dung heap for whom I would be unable to write such an un-incriminating epitaph. As is usually the case with Zanu PF politicos and securocrats, their biggest enemies always come from within their own cattle pens.
**John Austin, a former senior Zimbabwean customs officer was detained in Zimbabwe for two years with his colleague Neil Harper between 1986 and 1988.
