By Chris Chironzi
Gideon Gono, Zimbabwe’s central bank governor is recovering from a shuttered bone on the leg after a mysterious injury he has kept under wraps for over two weeks, Nehanda Radio can exclusively reveal.
“It is true, Dr Gono broke his leg after a mishap at night during a recent visit to an uncle in Chipinge”, confirmed one of Gono’s close aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Avenues Clinic in Harare, where Gono was reportedly rushed to for medical attention confirmed attending to Gono about three weeks ago but declined to divulge any details of Gono’s ailment.
“Yes we attended to Dr Gono but as a hospital we don’t discuss patient details with the press” replied a lady who answered the general line at the Avenues Clinic. A director at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe also confirmed that Gono was resting at home recovering from “a serious injury.”
“The Governor is at home. He is recovering from a broken leg but this will not in any way affect the work of the bank”, said the male board member who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
E-mails and phone calls to Gono’s office largely went unanswered and one of Gono’s private secretaries by the name Denise rudely shut out this writer when she finally picked up the phone. “Who are you? Who told you the Governor is ill? Please stop harassing me”; Denise said before hanging up.
A medical expert who specialises in bone fractures, Dr Makoni says that for the reported kind of injury Gono sustained, it will take at least 15-20 weeks before Gono can fully recover and actively go back to work.
“Fractures in adults take considerable time to heal due to the slow bone tissue growth in old age. It takes 15-20 weeks to fully heal in such cases”, Dr Makoni said. Muradzikwa, head of security at the central bank confirmed Gono has not been coming to the office over the past three weeks.
“We have not been seeing the Governor in the bank for the past three weeks. We understand he is not feeling well but for details better talk to his personal assistants” Muradzikwa said.
Gono’s term of office, which ends in November 2013 seems to be closing at a very low ebb.
It never rains but pours for Gono.
The central bank chief is battling the irreparable damage caused by a myriad of corruption, fraud and abuse of office allegations by his former advisor Munyaradzi Kereke who has since lodged a formal report to the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption commission nailing Gono.
Gono, who of late has fallen out of favour with Mugabe, is also reported to be struggling to pay off tens of millions of bank loans that have gone sour and he is reportedly failing to pay back.
For a central bank Governor, these events could not have come at any worse time given Zimbabwe’s current shaky banking sector against the backdrop of a growing problem of bad assets and a crumbling manufacturing sector.
