Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has intensified pressure on the government to act against individuals implicated in a gold‑smuggling ring exposed by Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” documentary. The first part of the docu‑series aired last Thursday, revealing how politically connected figures are laundering money and smuggling Zimbabwe’s precious minerals. In the program, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ambassador, Uebert Madzanire—also known as Angel—is presented as the face of gold smuggling in Zimbabwe. TIZ called for the revocation of licences held by those implicated, urging the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Anti‑Corruption Commission to investigate further and implement necessary reforms.
The watchdog’s statement reads: “Law enforcement, anti‑corruption agencies and regulatory authorities should immediately revoke gold trade and export licences granted to the implicated individuals and corporations, pending an investigation into the allegations.” The documentary has rattled ZANU‑PF sympathisers, who dismissed it as “hot air.” It features self‑styled cleric Angel inadvertently exposing a network of gold smugglers that includes controversial figures such as Henrietta Rushwaya, Kamlesh Pattni and Simon Rudland. State institutions, including the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and Fidelity Printers and Refineries, are shown as mechanisms for cleaning dirty money.
“As the documentary highlights, more and more cartels collaborate with individuals and institutions in Zimbabwe to move illicit funds through anonymous trusts and shell companies in tax havens and other secretive jurisdictions,” the statement continues. “This insidious relationship facilitates organised crime and massive outflows of gold and other precious minerals.” The film also alleges under‑invoicing and under‑declarations by registered gold dealers to Fidelity Printers and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, suggesting losses greater than previously assumed. Such practices undermine the country’s capacity to build critical infrastructure, meet the needs of its population and respond to urgent challenges.
To combat these issues, the statement urges the Zimbabwean government to strengthen mutual legal assistance with other jurisdictions to facilitate information exchange and to ensure that relevant institutions have the capacity to manage such requests. The government has remained silent on the docu‑series, but pressure is mounting on President Mnangagwa to act against Angel, who is seen as a key architect of the gold‑smuggling network. An online petition launched by Cathy Tshezi, calling for Angel’s assets in the United Kingdom to be frozen, has gathered over 10,000 signatures. The petition reads: “The people of Zimbabwe are suffering as a result of these acts; they face hardship and live in poverty. Zimbabwe’s economy has collapsed despite having enough resources to sustain the nation and create jobs. Healthcare lacks equipment, medication and staff, as health professionals have fled the country in search of better salaries abroad.”
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