The effects of the “Gold Mafia” to electoral democracy

By Youngerson Matete 

Qatar based international broadcaster Al Jazeera released a four-part damming expose documentary on Gold and money laundering in Southern Africa titled the “Gold Mafia”. 

The documentary infiltrated rival gangs and exposed organized criminal networks operating in Southern Africa. From the documentary, it`s clear that the criminal syndicates work in cohorts with government officials to launder money and gold. Government officials, business crocks and “fake prophets” were filmed not only explaining how they launder gold and money but also how they have captured the government establishing a deep state controlled by a mafia. 

World over, the concept of democracy can only work if there are strong and independent institutions, separation of powers and rule of law. Mafias make it difficult for democracy to function as they capture institutions which support democracy.  In this article, I will focus much on how the mafias operates and how their existence threatens democracy. As we head towards the 2023 harmonized elections, it is important to understand various groups which are interested in the outcome of the elections for their selfish interest. To what extent will these mafia syndicates go to subvert democracy in order to protect their criminal enterprise.

Capturing of the state

Generally speaking, state capture is a form of corruption where a small group of people influences the decision-making process of a state for personal gain. In order to protect and shield themselves from the law, organized criminal syndicates use their money and influence to capture political leadership and key government officials creating a mafia state; a state system where the government is tied with organized crime to a degree where government officials, the police and/or the military becomes part of the criminal enterprise.

According to Moisés Naím who is an expert researcher on organized crimes and mafia states, in a mafia state, government officials enrich themselves and their families and friends while exploiting their money, muscle, political influence, and global connections of criminal syndicates to cement and expand their own power. Indeed, top positions in some of the world's most profitable illicit enterprises are no longer filled by professional criminals; they now include senior government officials, legislators, spy chiefs, heads of police departments, military officers, and, in some extreme cases, even heads of state or their family members. 

Mafias usually take advantage of political leadership which seek to cling to power. In Kenya, Kamlesh Pattni helped President Daniel Arap Moi to maintain his grip on power. In Zimbabwe, the Al Jazeera documentary expose alleges that the first family is involved in laundering money and gold. 

Unlike normal states, mafia states do not just occasionally rely on criminal groups to advance particular foreign policy goals. Instead, high government officials actually become integral players in, if not the leaders of, criminal enterprises, and the defence and promotion of those enterprises' businesses become official priorities. In 2012, Moisés Naím wrote that in mafia states such as Bulgaria, Guinea-Bissau, Montenegro, Myanmar (also called Burma), Ukraine, and Venezuela, the national interest and the interests of organized criminals are  inextricably intertwined. 

In Zimbabwe, the government has given these criminal syndicates mining licences and allowed the mining sector to transact in cash in the guise of improving the easy of doing business under the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra. This, inevitably aides in the washing of dirty money by criminal syndicates. One will wonder who influenced that policy, if it’s not the mafia itself. This hugely undermines democracy as the state or government will no longer save the interest of the people. 

Capturing the media and civil society organizations

The mafia will use their dirt money to capture the media and the civil society groups to supress and control narratives. In a democratic society the media and civil society’s role is to inform citizens and hold the government to account. They are media organizations and civil society groups on the payroll of these mafias. When the media and civic society is captured, this general undermines democracy as citizens will not get correct and enough information.

General in Zimbabwe where journalists are under paid and media house are captured,  civil society organizations are battling to find donors. It opens an opportunity for the mafias to penetrate. Many media houses and civil society groups will not be speaking truth to power as we go towards elections, some will be used to sanitize and legitimatize flawed elections. There has been a rise of political violence since the March 2022 by-elections. How many civic organizations or media houses have condemned or reported true facts? 

Weakening of institutions 

Mafias cannot operate in an environment where institutions are strong. After capturing the state, they move to weaken and control institutions. Institutions such as the judiciary, legislature and chapter 12 institutions which are mandated to do checks and balances on the government are not only captured but are rendered useless that they only exist but are unable to do anything. In some cases, the mafias even capture and weaken both civil society and opposition political parties. 

When institutions which supports democracy are captured and weakened, they will not be any meaningful electoral democracy to talk about. Although, the incumbent political leadership will want to appear like there is democracy to buy political legitimacy, the mafia will be in effective control of these institutions. They even have a greater say to who is declared a winner in elections and almost always, they cannot allow a change of leadership unless they control and owns the incoming political leadership.

The mafia also determines who gets to stay in power as well. Even if one is elected, if they stop promoting their interests, they may remove them in one way or the other or kill them. A classic example is the events of November 2017, when the then President was removed through a military coup dubbed Operation Restore Legacy. In the “Gold Mafia” documentary, Ewan McMillan who claims that President ED Mnangagwa is his long-time partner claims that the Zimbabwean President has always been a “gold mafia”, who has been known to grab gold mines in the midland’s province through the use of machete wielding gangs.

When the then President R G Mugabe and G40 expelled President Mnangagwa from both party and government. The mafia which was linked to Mnangagwa had to find ways to take control of the government or risk running out of business. They most likely bankrolled a military coup that removed a constitutionally elected head of state giving testament to just how dangerous the mafia can be to democracy.

Sponsoring suppression of alternative voices.

The mafia syndicates will work in cohort with the political leadership to supress alternative voices in society. They sponsor brutality in society using state organs. In mafia-controlled states, police and the army are general incapacitated to investigate and prevent general crimes but they will be armed to the teeth to thwart any political activity or demonstration. 

In Zimbabwe, on any other general crime. The police is incapacitated to investigate and effect arrest. According to Afrobarometer survey, Zimbabweans see their police as lacking integrity and professionalism. Only one in three citizens give the police a passing grade on reducing and combating crime. 

In general, Zimbabweans look to their police to maintain law and order, protect people and their property, prevent crime, reduce fear and in the processes improve the quality of life for all (UNODC, 2004) but what they see is directly opposite. The police is at the centre of political suppression, abuse of human rights, corruption and political partisanship. The police operate like a militia group. They fail to investigate crime but they are good at suppressing political demonstrations. This is how a mafia-controlled state work. The police is used to thwart freedom of expression. Mafias general promote repression of citizens hence undermining democracy 

Massive sponsorship to incumbents 

In the gold mafia documentary, the ambassador at large Urbert Angel was filmed claiming that President E D Mnangagwa has over 250 million of united states dollars for election campaign. This war chest is more than the amount of budget that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is allocated to manage and conduct elections in Zimbabwe. Part of the money will be used to carry out vote buying. Just to stretch your memory back. You will remember one of the person who featured in the gold mafia part four, Scott Sakupwanya campaigned in Mabvuku for councillor during march 2022 by-elections giving people food humpers and money to those who voted for him and take a picture. He won the ward through vote buying. This will be very much common in this year’s elections. They will be rampart vote buying. 

Part of the money will also be used to finance village terror groups, for mafia-controlled state power retention is the highest and number one priority. They will go to any lengthy to return power. Village terror groups will be armed and well financed to carry out terror activities. 

Head of institutions will be bribed or bought as part of the power retention project. The police and army will have their salaries paid in the united states dollars in double proportion as we approach the 2023 harmonized elections. Anyone who must be bribed or bought will be, so long they can be used to sanitize flawed elections.

Pacification of citizens.

The mafia also move to pacify citizens by destroying political consciousness which is the soul of democracy. There is no democracy which can thrive without active citizens. The mafia uses self-proclaimed prophets, slay queens, social media celebs and wannabe entrepreneurs to pacify citizens in society.

In Zimbabwe, most people identify as Christians and they believe that preachers communicate the message from God and that it is a sin to disobey their instructions. Mafias have mastered this and created charismatic preachers who command huge followings which they manipulate and pacify. The end goal is to create a citizenry that doesn’t question anything. It is not by coincidence that in most churches discussing politics is discouraged despite the fact that from Genesis to Revelations, the bible is all politics. The concept of using the bible to pacify citizens as a way of preventing rebellion has been used by several political leaders and organized criminals to thwart rebellion since time immemorial.

If you talk to followers of Urbert Angel; despite all the evidence of criminality exposed in the “Gold Mafia” documentary, they will tell you that it’s a lie aimed at soiling the prophet`s ‘good name.’ Their prophet is a good man, they will furiously argue, who is being attacked by his adversaries. I won`t be surprised if there are some in “his church” who are fasting and praying casting demons which they think are attacking their spiritual father.

Slay queens and kings created by mafias save as a beacon of hard work and often hold business seminars teaching young people that hard work pays as a diversion from real issues. They will flaunt their ill-gotten wealth as sign of hard work to misled young people. 

Another tactic used by the mafia to both make illicit money and pacify citizens is drugs. In countries which are controlled by mafias, there is generally high drug abuse and prostitution. Mafias manufacture, control and distribute drugs in communities. Young people are then pre-occupied with drugs that they will not think about questioning the status quo. 

In conclusion, the gold mafia, like many other mafias is a serious threat to our democracy in Zimbabwe. If the mafia controls the government and key institutions; what does it mean to our democracy? The mafia and the political leadership’s interest are the same. They will do whatever it takes to return power therefore undermining our democracy. Its important that as we push for democratization in Zimbabwe, we must find ways to deal with this emerging phenomenon in our country. We must outdo the mafias if we are to entertain any hope of democratic break through in Zimbabwe. 

Youngerson Matete is a pro-democracy and Human Rights activist, a student of Political Science. He is the founder of Project Vote 263, a youth-led initiative to foster inclusive participatory democracy in Zimbabwe. He writes in his own capacity. His views doesn't not represents any organisation.

Cell : +263 773 622 044

Email: youngmatete0@gmail.com/ director@projectvote263.org.zw