Zimbabwe: Controversial Visit of Belarusian General Raises Concerns

The recent visit of Belarusian army general Viktor Sheiman to Zimbabwe has sparked controversy and raised concerns among international observers. Sheiman, who is under sanctions from the European Union and the United States due to alleged human rights abuses and questionable business dealings, led a Belarusian delegation that met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Officially, Sheiman’s mission was stated to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in agriculture. The focus was on introducing Belarusian dairy technologies to Zimbabwe’s dairy farms. However, this visit rekindled suspicions due to Sheiman’s previous involvement in contentious business deals between Belarus and Zimbabwe.

In 2018, Sheiman negotiated agreements on behalf of the Belarusian government, particularly in mining ventures for minerals like gold, platinum, and rare earths. Subsequent revelations suggested these deals were not transparent. Allegations emerged of secret ownership and conflicts of interest, raising questions about the legitimacy of the joint ventures.

One particularly controversial venture was Zim Goldfields, a joint mining venture allegedly co-owned by Sheiman’s son, Sergei, and an influential Belarusian businessman named Alexander Zingman. The Pandora Papers, a leak of documents revealing offshore corporate activities, exposed the involvement of Sheiman and his family in an offshore company linked to a Zimbabwean State-owned mining firm. These revelations further cast doubt on the integrity of the Belarusian delegation’s dealings in Zimbabwe.

Viktor Sheiman’s close association with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been marred by allegations of human rights violations, including the disappearance of Lukashenko’s critics during Sheiman’s tenure as Belarus’ prosecutor-general in 2004. His controversial visit to Zimbabwe has reignited concerns about the nature of Belarusian-Zimbabwean collaborations and their potential implications for both countries.