A Zimbabwean man who was accused of smuggling gold worth over US$700,000 into South Africa through OR Tambo International Airport was yesterday granted bail by a regional court in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
Tashinga Nyasha Masinire, 33, was detained on Saturday afternoon after flying into South Africa from Harare with 23 pieces of gold worth R11 million (about US$733,000) in his hand luggage.
Reports has it that Masinire once worked as a driver for Zimbabwe Miners Federation, President Henrietta Rushwaya, “but quit almost a year ago.”
In October last year, Henrietta Rushwaya was detained at the same airport with over 6kg of gold valued at US$366,000 just before boarding a flight to Dubai.
Henrietta Rushwaya is President E.D Mnangagwa’s niece.
Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase, a spokesman for South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, said: “Masinire was granted bail of R100,000 at Kempton Park Regional Court with stringent conditions. He was ordered to surrender his passport, not to leave South Africa before the finalisation of the matter and to report at the nearest police station three times a week.
“The court remanded the matter to July 1, 2021, for further investigation.”
However, there has been a lot of uncertainty on how Masinire managed to fly out of the country without the gold being detected at the Harare International Airport where he flew from.
Senior journalist and political analyst, Hopewell Chin’ono through his twitter account @daddy hope said the whole airport management and authorities responsible should have issued a statement on what really transpired.
“In a normal country not run by a criminal syndicate, the airport management would have issued a statement, airport officials on duty when the gold was smuggled would have been suspended, the transport minister would have issued a statement!” Hopewell Chin’ono posted on twitter.
Below are some of the comments from Hopewell Chin’ono’s post.
“This is embarrassing, so our authorities will have to cooperate with SA and explain why gold was moved at a whole International airport. ED will do nothing and only froth and flex when citizens tweet, give pressers or collect garbage nxa.” George E Nyandoro.
“The sad thing is that this story is on the international platform. Other countries are watching and listening to a govt eerily quite like a sitting duck! If the gold was sold in RSA, R11mil was going to be laundered out of RSA, and the bullion was definately leaving RSA as well!” George Chamisa.
“Zimbabwe is not poor. It’s a very rich country unfortunately run by a cartel of people who are looking after themselves and a few around them. I repeat Zimbabwe is rich and could be better with the right leaders.” Gerald Makendenge.
“The most disappointing part is the youth in Zimbabwe whose future is being stollen will see this as normal hustling and will be waiting to shout mbinga mbinga when these people robbing them of their future import expensive cars and advise them against.” Kuziva.
It’s as if the lad didn’t pass our airport and some citizens have gone beyond ignoring the whole issue completely, but actually defending the heist.In Zw you pinch yourself to check if you are not in some twilight realm. Chris