Mujuru acquires $1,6 trillion hunting concession

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:12:00


Munyaradzi Shonhayi


RULING Zanu PF heavyweight, retired army general Solomon Mujuru, has acquired a vast hunting concession valued at over $1 trillion dollars to expand his bourgeoning business empire.
ildlife sources said Mujuru - husband to Vice-President Joice Mujuru – acquired the prime Chewore South hunting concession in the Zambezi Valley for $1,6 trillion dollars, beating 20 other prospective buyers.

General Mujuru leads a faction in Zanu PF wrestling to succeed President Robert Mugabe in a fierce skirmish with a faction aligned to rural amenities minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chewore South hunting concession is a wild and remote area approximately 126km from the Harare to Chirundu main road.
The concession, which was put under the hammer by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authourity on July 13 is said to measure a million acres and attracts safari hunters from all over the world.



The Zambezi Valley is regarded as one of the prime areas in Africa for hunting dangerous game such as elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard.

Mujuru - who has business interests in key economic sectors including River Ranch diamond mine in Beitbridge - has been described as a “kingmaker†in Zanu PF politics after pushing for the ascendancy of his wife into the presidium ahead of perceived political nemesis Mnangagwa in December 2004.
“Mujuru (Solomon) has won the bid for Chewore South hunting concession,†one of the sources told ZimDaily. “There is a consortium of local safari players who have fronted the deal on his behalf to the tune of $1,6trillion dollars. This is one of those highly confidential business transactions, which nobody is willing to talk about, but we all know that Mujuru now owns the hunting concession.â€

Parks spokesperson retired Major Edward Mbewe yesterday said the hunting concession was worth over $1,7 trillion, adding Mujuru could be part of a four-member consortium that won the Chewore concession.
He refused to reveal the names of the business quartet.
“Maybe he’s part of the consortium,†said Mbewe. “I’m yet to establish the name of the person leading the consortium. However, we’re going to be in a position to know the names after 14 days because by then they’ll be required to declare their directorship upon paying for the concession.â€
Contacted by ZimDaily for comment, Mujuru said he had nothing to do with the Chewore hunting concession acquisition adding that people were in the habit of associating big business deals with his name. “Handimo (I’m not part of it),†said Mujuru. “Vanhu vanongoti zvese zvese Mujuru. Nyora hakozvaunoda.†(People are in the habit of linking me with everything. Go ahead and write what you feel like.)
Sources said the retired army general’s new acquisition is situated next door to Billy Rautenbach’s property.
Rautenbach is a mining magnet, who has substantial business muscle not only in Zimbabwe, but also in a number of African countries.
Mujuru - who is considered among the most powerful and influential figures in Zimbabwe politics – was one of Zanla’s commanders during the liberation struggle using the nom degurre Rex Nhongo.
The retired general went on to become the county’s first army chief before leaving government service in 1995 to venture into business.

That is not good news for US hunters:

http://www.state.gov/p/af/rls/18542.htm

And from the most recent "bar" list:
http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/t11sdn.pdf

MUJURU, Joyce Teurai Ropa; DOB 15 Apr 1955;
Second Vice President (individual)
[ZIMBABWE]
MUJURU, Solomon Tapfumaneyi Ruzambo
(a.k.a. "NANGO, Rex"); DOB 1 May 1949;
Passport ZD001348 (Zimbabwe); Politburo
Senior Committee Member (individual)

That's not good.

From the OFAC (U.S. Department fo the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control) list of Specially-Designatred Nationals and Blocked Persons:

MUJURU, Joyce Teurai Ropa; DOB 15 Apr 1955; Second Vice President
(individual) [ZIMBABWE]

MUJURU, Solomon Tapfumaneyi Ruzambo (a.k.a. "NANGO, Rex"); DOB 1
May 1949; Passport ZD001348 (Zimbabwe); Politburo Senior Committee
Member (individual) [ZIMBABWE]

http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/index.shtml

THIS IS NOT AND DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE LEGAL ADVICE. CAVEAT HUNTER. DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE.

[Dang! Mr. Manion beat me to it...]

quote:

"I'm not part of it . . . . People are in the habit of linking me with everything. Go ahead and write what you feel like."

The general is pretty talkative for a silent partner.

Perhaps he can print up a $5 trillion dollar bill, and ask for change.

I take it he wont be in Reno then ...

quote:

Dang! Mr. Manion beat me to it...]

The boys from Dallas are in the zone today! One minute apart...

$1.3 trillion Zim dollars? With a 10,000% inflation rate, in a few months that will be the price of a cup of coffee!

My Understanding is that Majuru didn't get the concession and that Carl van der Riet and his Partners in 'Central Air Transport' paid for it on monday.

Majuru and his fronts certainly bid the most at the auction a month or so back, but then went to parks and wanted to pay over 60 months. Since Parks is no longer a government department and has been "privatised" parks' terms were cash on the nail. So Chris and Carl got it. Will confirm before I disapear into the wilderness at the weekend

Thanks Ganyana. So long as "Central Air Transport" are in the clear that will be a big relief to the hunters in the U.S.


Caveat: This is not legal advice! Do your own due diligence befiore booking your hunt!

Okay i,ve done my due diligence and I want to know how much 1.6 trillion Zim is in Us $. How much?

quote:

Originally posted by Cunningham:
Okay i,ve done my due diligence and I want to know how much 1.6 trillion Zim is in Us $. How much?

When they came out with the Zim200,000 bill a little over a month ago, it was reportedly worth One US Dollar at the black market rate. Not sure where the rate is today.

A trillion is more than a Brazilian.....

Ganyana,

If Carl and partners did secure the concession, any idea who will operate the hunting?

black market rate is arround Z$250,000:1

Carl is a PH and van der Reit safaris an old and established company. I expect he will simply expand his current operations

I'm by no means a politician but why would these 'generals' and others of similar ilk want these safari concessions? It makes no economic sense since most western countries would ban hunters from going there and spending forex.

Yeah, I realize we are not dealing with rational people but I still had to ask the stupid question.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I'm by no means a politician but why would these 'generals' and others of similar ilk want these safari concessions? It makes no economic sense since most western countries would ban hunters from going there and spending forex.

Yeah, I realize we are not dealing with rational people but I still had to ask the stupid question.

From what I have heard, not everyone has the same restrictions in place that the U.S. does.