Unmasking the Gold Mafia: A Circus of Denial and Absurdity

AI Jazeera Theme

The Al Jazeera Documentary leaves some Zimbabwean political figures gasping for air.

Well, well, well, it seems the world has tuned in for the latest episode of Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia exposé, revealing the dirty secrets of illicit gold trading in Zimbabwe. And guess what? News networks everywhere are buzzing about it! But wait for it... here come the circus performers from the maggoty camp, ready to downplay the documentary's findings and ridicule Al Jazeera's investigative journalists. Bravo, guys, bravo.

Our once-respected master of chimerical political standpat, George Charamba, the Chief Secretary of Communications in the Office of the President, has taken out his knives and threatened local Zimbabwean journalists with prison sentences if they dare to report on Al Jazeera's revelations. Shocking, but not surprising, right?

Remember a few months ago when the award-winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chinon'o got himself arrested multiple times for exposing corruption? Yeah, those same corrupt officials and politically exposed individuals are still roaming free, while poor Hopewell paid the price for seeking the truth. And don't even get me started on Henrietta Rushwaya, the president's niece, who managed to keep her position at the Zimbabwe Miners Federation despite being involved in gold smuggling scandals. It's a real miscarriage of justice, folks, and it's no wonder that Zimbabwean journalists are practicing self-censorship. It's a tough world out there, just ask Jacob Sikhala, the law maker who knows it all too well.

But wait, there's more! Charamba, aka Jamwanda, has decided to grace us with his own counter-argument titled: "Zimbabwe's GEIST." Oh, how thrilling! In this mind-numbing opinion piece, he couldn't bring himself to address the fact that our dear Ambassador At Large Ubert Angels, aka Number 2, and his buddies were caught red-handed facilitating gold smuggling and money laundering. Nope, instead, Charamba took us on a history lesson about the unpleasant Slave trade, conveniently sidestepping the gory realities of plunder and economic turmoil.

Charamba had the audacity to attack the Al Jazeera documentary, claiming it was a tool of "dying colonial interests" driven by pure politics. Yawn! We're tired of this weak and worn-out argument. He even tried to argue for the "epistemological sovereignty" of countries, claiming that foreign media has no right to shape public discourse in Zimbabwe. Well, let me tell you, that line of thinking is flimsier than a soggy pancake on a rainy day. It's downright laughable and, dare I say, irresponsible.

But here's the real kicker: Charamba conveniently forgot to address why the Zimbabwean media has been failing in its duty to inform the public. The truth is, our media has been neutered and stripped of its integrity. It's become nothing more than a propaganda machine, churning out Charamba's version of reality. It's not "Zimbabwe's GEIST," my friends it's Charamba’s geist. Yes we as a people deserve to our own national viewpoint, but how does he expect local media to foster public debate and expose corruption if journalists are thrown into jail. It’s a question for another day.

 

Poke holes on the documentary

Playing the full back position, offering a consistent defensive cover across flanks, helping the team in attack, Nick Mangwana the Permenant Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services also joins the armies of bloggers in the mainstream and in the fringe, defending looting. In a condescending manner like always Mangwana astonishingly defended the gold smuggling revelations claiming it as Zimbabwe’s only way to circumvent economic sanctions. Heheheee!!!

In his usual condescending manner, Mangwana astonishingly tries to justify the gold smuggling revelations by claiming that it's Zimbabwe's only way to outsmart those pesky economic sanctions. Haha! It's truly perplexing how inconsistent his arguments are. First, he screams "fake news" about the documentary, and then he shifts gears to the whole sanctions circumvention story. Does he really believe Zimbabweans are buying into this wild ride? I hate to break it to him, but we're not blind to the fact that these gold dealings are only benefiting the elite few, aka the mafia.

But that's not all, my friends. Mangwana, in an attempt to delegitimize the docu-series even further, takes aim at Zimbabwean journalist Simbarashe Chikanza, who happens to be named as a researcher for the documentary. In a tweet he proudly screenshots, Mangwana tries to dehumanize and demonize Chikanza simply because he chooses to inform and educate the Zimbabwean electorate. News flash, Mangwana: Just because Chikanza isn't an accomplice to endless boot licking doesn't make him any less patriotic.

This entire charade clearly reveals that our government isn't accustomed to criticism. They're used to a media industry that sings their praises and attacks any alternative ideas. It's an industry that conveniently sweeps colossal healthcare disasters and financial collapses under the rug. And don't get me started on the truth about how free we are as a people. Nope, it's all sunshine and rainbows according to them. Well, guess what? We're not buying it!