A Bogus Mining Company Donates to the President Mugabe's Birthday Bash

By Levi Mhaka

Published on February 23, 2007

Fact 1. On 18 February 2007 there was a story entitled "SA firm looks to invest in Zim diamonds" in the Herald newspaper in which an alleged South African company, African Pearl Mining Pty Ltd, intended to invest in mining in Zimbabwe through its alleged subsidiary, Better Mining Pvt. Ltd.

Fact 2. There was another or a follow up story in the Business Herald of 20 February 2007 on the same subject involving 'African Pearl Mining' entitled "SA company seeks to revive closed mines". Ironically, the closed mines are those largely owned by the government of Zimbabwe through the poorly run Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC).

Fact 3. In the follow up story, there is no mention of its alleged Zimbabwean subsidiary - "Better Mining Pvt. Ltd", except that its directors (Chishi Mashile and Rhoden Munyoro) are the same as those of the non-existing 'African Pearl Mining Pty Ltd'.

Opinion 1. In seeking attention and curry favour with politicians, the company is said to have donated R30,000 to President Robert Mugabe's birthday celebration before they even commence trading.

Fact 4. In the Herald of 21 February 2007, the same company placed an advert congratulating President Mugabe on the occasion of his birthday, with its name indicated as "Better Minerals Mining Pvt. Ltd". In the advert, there was no physical address or telephone contact details as usual with a print advert, except an email address, stoneads@yahoo.com.

Fact 5. According to an online company search on the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office of South Africa website (www.cipro.gov.za/temp/406506349.asp), there is a name 'African Pearl Mining and Metals' which has been temporarily reserved pending registration/incorporation. The company 'African Pearl Mining' cannot be other than ''African Pearl Mining and Metals'.

Fact 6. It is not possible that a (local) company can be a subsidiary of an unregistered (foreign) one. For a company to have foreign shareholders, whether institutional or individuals, it requires the authorization of the newly created but not yet functional Zimbabwe Investment Authority - ZIA (formerly Zimbabwe Investment Centre, before the merger with Export Processing Authority of Zimbabwe).

Fact 7. The alleged subsidiary, 'Better Mining Pvt. Ltd', is a registered Zimbabwean company incorporated on 12 December 2006 (C.R. No. 21287/2006). Its listed directors according to the last filed C.R. 14 are Mpho Chishi Richard Mashile of 2 Lynx Street, Kensington, South Africa and Rhoden Munyoro of 3 Ruwanga Road, Mandara, Harare. It has no known mining activity it is currently involved in South Africa, Zimbabwe or anywhere.

Fact 8. African Pearl Mining Pvt. Ltd is not registered in Zimbabwe nor are there any indications by the ZIA as the authority that deals with foreign investment.

Opinion 2. This is another haux or dummy story sold to Zimbabweans by a bogus and dubious company when we desperately need to revive our economy with serious people.

Opinion 3. We are awaiting the disclosure of the plans by 'African Pearl Mining' in the mining sector in Zimbabwe.

Fact 9. We need to recall similar mucky deals as reported by the Zimbabwe Independent on 20 October 2006 involving Russians - "Murky Russian deals in doubt" and "Fears abound, pledges could be a hoax".

Fact 10. This is all because we have a poor instinct to hold our 'governors' accountable. I am certain the fertiliser saga and the alleged deals with Russians have died just like that. Our media have foregotten about the issues. This is what happened on the story regarding a South African agricultural commodity shelf company, Intshona Agricultural Products Pty Ltd, that was involved in the fertiliser saga.

There were stories in both the South African and local media before the scandal was known. An exposure about it being bogus was only made possible after the results of the quality of the fertiliser was released and picked by the media.