Discord at ZFM over Rushwaya reinstatement report

Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZFM) is fighting over today’s reinstatement of its President Henrietta Rushwaya, arrested last year in a bid to smuggle 6kg of gold to Dubai.

ZFM CEO Wellington Takavarasha said Rushwaya was reinstated, but spokesman Dosman Mangisi said she has not.

It was reported that the ZMF national executive has defended its decision to reinstate its gold smuggling accused leader, Henrietta Rushwaya, as its president.

Rushwaya, who is currently out on $100 000 bail coupled with movement restrictions, is being charged of gold smuggling, illegal possession of gold and bribery arising from her arrest on October 26 last year at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport when four bars of gold weighing 6kg were found in her possession en-route to Dubai.

Speaking after a special meeting of the ZMF executive, the federation’s secretary general Morgan Mugawu, said the decision to reinstate Rushwaya was arrived at on the basis that she remains innocent until proven guilty.

“As you know, we had suspended our president Madam Henrietta Rushwaya last year in October,” said Mugawu.

“Now, as a national executive we sat and considered that she is out on bail and unanimously agreed that she be reinstated.

“We arrived at this decision in accordance with our organisation’s constitution and also anchored on the fact that she remains innocent until proven guilty,” he said.

Meanwhile, despite this statement, Newshawks reports that the ZFM spokesperson said Rushwaya has not been reinstated.

Newshawks/ The Herald