Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A former army officer reportedly smuggled guns from South Africa to Zimbabwe as a cover for the importation of the wrong guns.
The guns were ordered from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) for the Presidential Guard, an elite unit responsible for protecting the President, NewsHawks reported.
The order came from the ZNA and was first given to Ukubambana Commodities (Pvt) Ltd managing director Gladman Chipidza who then contracted former army doctor and now arms dealer Gugulethu Mabhena.
Mabhena reportedly bought the wrong consignment which was later rejected.
Mabhena smuggled the guns into Zimbabwe through Beitbridge, but instead of taking back the wrong consignment, he sought to construct an elaborate cover-up for the mistake.
He allegedly told the police that the guns were going to the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI)’s Alphida Production in Domboshava.
Police insisted on seeing the documents prompting Mabhena to rope in ZDI general manager Hope Goliath Mutize to claim that the guns were ordered by his organisation.
Mutize, who is out on bail, then ordered Group Captain Leonard Matambo, an Air Force of Zimbabwe senior commissioned officer who works for the ZDI, to intervene and write a letter claiming the consignment.
Matambo was, however, arrested on 29 August for allegedly trying to facilitate the smuggling into the country of the weapons by Mabhena.
The two were arrested and charged with conspiring to smuggle 31 AK-47 rifles and 62 magazines.
Sources told the NewsHawks that:
1). Mabhena bought the wrong model of guns which was rejected by ZNA as that would raise security, financial and accountability issues.
2). He didn’t even have an export permit from South Africa or an import permit for this.
3). Mabhena couldn’t take them back as that would be risky to smuggle them back; so he decided to take them to ZDI as several government departments were demanding answers.
The case is now being investigated.
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