In a significant legal development, Henrietta Rushwaya, the President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, has been convicted of smuggling gold. Rushwaya faced charges after being apprehended at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport attempting to smuggle 6 kilograms of gold to Dubai.
The attempted smuggling occurred on October 26, 2020, when security officers at the airport detected suspicious objects in her handbag through their X-ray monitoring system. Upon discovering gold bars, Rushwaya was asked to provide the necessary export documentation, which she failed to produce. Instead, she presented an invoice from a company called All Japanese Limited, rendering the transportation unlawful.
This incident implicates Rushwaya in a larger gold smuggling crisis in Zimbabwe, as highlighted in Al Jazeera’s documentary. The operation, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, involved several key players, including the now-convicted Henrietta Rushwaya.
Rushwaya is currently in custody, awaiting her sentencing scheduled for November 10. This conviction underscores the government’s commitment to combating illegal activities within the country and holds individuals accountable for their involvement in such operations.
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