Part 1- How Eastern Europe Oligarchs Are Feasting In The 2nd Republic

Wisdom
8 Min Read

By Correspondent

The Second Republic’s politics has been marked by a foreign policy oft-ambivalent as to border on confusing.

Western re-engagement efforts, tainted by random rhetorical tirades, have been made to rhyme with salivary effusions about the East.

The result has been a mish-mash of contradictory actions.

Lately President Mnangagwa’s gaffe in Russia leading to adiplomatic row with Zambia has come to encapsulate the ambivalence.

What hasn’t been doubtful or confusing is a new found infatuation with a clique of Eastern Europeans.

Huge business deals have been struck since 2018 with various grainy individuals emerging as business partners for the country.

The change is corroborated by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).

It states that over the past 12 years exports of Albania to Zimbabwe have increased at an annualized rate of 18.7%, between 2010 and 2022.

In ultimate gangster style, business deals have been unilaterally foisted on Local Authorities while profits are seemingly shared elsewhere.

Below are some notable individuals who have struck business deals with Government.

Behgjet Pacolli, Mabetex- 500 SADC Summit Villas

The former President of Kosovo, Pacolli founded Mabetex Project Management, a construction company in the ‘90s.

The company has developed during the years into a large business group now called the Mabetex Group based in Switzerland.

It was recently awarded the contract to build 500 villas in anticipation of the SADC Summit to be held in August.

According to Minister Jenfan Muswere, Zimbabwe is also engaging Mabetex on the redevelopment of chanceries in four places – New York, London, Geneva and Addis Ababa.

“So we are looking at that in addition to the conferencing facilities.

However, Pacolli has been accused of working with organized crime figures, including Milan Radoičić, an alleged gangster and powerful figure in Kosovo’s largest Serbian party, and Jose Enrique Rais from El Salvador.

In an ironic twist that extends to the controversial GeoPomona deal, Rais controls the publicly subsidized waste management firm called Integrated Solid Waste Management of El Salvador.

MIDES allegedly has had contracts with parts of the Salvadoran government for waste disposal for over a decade.

Meanwhile Pacolli has also been involved in money laundering and bribery allegations in Switzerland, where he is now a citizen.

An association between Pacolli and the Second Republic, already heaving under myriad scandals of its own, makes for uneasy reading.

Victor Sheiman- US$58M Agric Machinery

President Mnangagwa welcomes Belarus Chief of Presidential Affairs General Colonel Victor Sheiman at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare.

In March 2018, the head of the Presidential Property Management Department in Belarus Viktor Sheiman visited Zimbabwe.

Sheiman announced ambitious plans: to reach a trade turnover of $500 million with Zimbabwe by 2019, and $1 billion in 2020.

The deals would involve the supply of Belarusian equipment to Zimbabwe, the development of mineral deposits as well as cooperation in the field of defense.

“No one is going to cooperate for free. If they don’t have money, they are ready to pay with minerals.

“This suits us,” Sheiman said.

That same year Sheiman reported to Lukashenko on the signing of contracts worth $58 million.

There are no public mentions of what happened to these contracts and how work is progressing on the joint projects.

In the aftermath of the Gold Mafia scandal, Sheiman’s words that minerals could replace money snuggly fit into the puzzle.

Alexander Zingman-US$62M Fire Tenders

Honorary Consul Alexander Zingman with President Mnangagwa

Zingman has been reported to be the key figure in the relations between Belarus and Zimbabwe.

In Belarus he is reportedly less public than most oligarchs close to President Alexander Lukashenko.

There is little publicly available information about most of his business assets.

Zingman first appeared in a photo next to Sheiman and Zimbabwean Vice President Chiwenga in March 2018 in Harare.

At that time, the parties allegedly signed contracts worth about $60 million to supply Belarusian-made agricultural machinery to Zimbabwe.

In September 2019, Mnangagwa, Sheiman and Zingman appeared in Harare, signing more “multimillion” contracts.

The most obvious result from those interactions was the US$62 million fire tender deal.

Zingman was reported to be the main beneficiary in the arrangement led by former Local Government minister July Moyo.

The deal did not go to tender as per the law and was rejected by Parliament and some local authorities.

However, it has continued and various Councils such as Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Kadoma have received fire tenders.

Meril Mertiri – US$320M GeoPomona Waste-To-Energy Deal

Mërtiri, is the partner for Delish Nguwaya in the Geo-Pomona Waste Management deal with Harare City Council.

Government approved the deal under which the company was awarded a €304 million (about US$320 million) contract.

They are supposed to turn Harare’s waste into energy but so far have only built some sports facilities.

The scandalous deal was foisted on Harare City Council.

Mërtiri is reportedly on the run from his country’s authorities accused of swindling 430 million Euros through incinerator deals in Tirana, Elbasan and Fier.

The Albanian Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has since seized the waste to energy plant he was building in Tirana.

He is currently believed to be hiding in Vienna, Austria.

However, it has been reported that he has been denied asylum there.

Shaji Mulk- US$500M Cyber City Project

The huge project was proposed to President Mnangagwa by Mulk during the President’s visit to the United Arab Emirates.

President Mnangagwa then invited Mulk to develop the project in Mt Hampden.

Unlike others Mulk is of Indian origin but him having a Dubai base means he was bound to connect with the Second Republic as it is a favoured destination.

Mulk is the Founder and Chairman of Mulk Holdings International and thus far appears the cleaner of the bunch.

The initial phase of Cyber City includes 50 of the 233 planned luxury villas, with an expected completion timeline of 18 months to 24 months.

The ambitious project aspires to be Africa’s first “smart city,” aiming to revolutionise the country’s economic and social landscape

However, Mulk’s local connections includes individuals already flagged before such as Tempter Tungwarara who initially led the project.

Also, the political jostling around the project with names such as Chris Mutsvangwa coming in makes the deal suspicious.

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