Zanu PF bigwig linked to US$5,5m yacht

A top Zanu PF bigwig has been linked to the purchase of a luxurious boat worth US$5,5 million imported from an Italian yacht maker Azimut Yacht this week.

However, the yacht, which arrived in the country on Wednesday, has also been linked to a mystery Harare man from Chisipite whose name is known to the Zimbabwe Independent.

According to reliable sources in South Africa, the boat was fully paid for at a company called Broderick Marine in Vanderbiljpark, southern Johannesburg, which ordered the boat from Italy on behalf of the owner.

The yacht left Vanderbiljpark for Zimbabwe on Monday and crossed the Beitbridge border post on Wednesday in an abnormal-load truck registration number BX 00SB GP destined for Kariba.

The boat is a six-sleeper, with three lounges, two Cummins 5HP diesel engines and has top and bottom steering wheels which allow the driver to steer the boat from either inside or outside.

It is fully air-conditioned with a 32-inch flat screen television and a refrigerator. Investigations by the Independent show the boat was bought and imported by the Chisipite-based returning resident on the Zimbabwean side while documents on the South African side show the owner as a top Zanu PF politician.

The sources said the boat was bought for US$3,8 million and duty of US$1,7 million was paid. It was cleared by Group Air’s GA Freight, a Harare-based clearing agency. Efforts to get comment from Broderick Marine proved fruitless. Zimbabwe Independent