New Zimbabwe Documentary Alleges Cabinet Ministers, Politicians Linked to Drug and Gold Mafia Networks

By Maitengwe Reporter
A documentary investigation by Zimbabwean political activist and filmmaker Rutendo Matinyarire has alleged the existence of a vast criminal network involving drug trafficking, gold smuggling, human trafficking, and corruption linked to politically connected individuals and state officials in Zimbabwe.

Speaking on X on Wednesday, Matinyarire said the documentary which has not yet been released publicly contains explosive allegations gathered over several months through undercover filming, hidden cameras, and interviews with law enforcement officers, alleged drug dealers, sex workers, immigration officials, and other sources.

According to Matinyarire, the documentary alleges that narcotics are smuggled into Zimbabwe through sophisticated cross-border syndicates operating with the protection of influential politicians, cabinet ministers, security officials, and business elites.

The unreleased film reportedly claims drugs are concealed inside the body panels of imported vehicles before being cleared at border posts with the assistance of corrupt officials. The narcotics are then allegedly retrieved at selected panel-beating workshops and distributed through organised delivery networks operating mainly in Harare and other urban centres.

The documentary further alleges that some politically connected individuals are deliberately flooding communities with drugs to weaken unemployed youths and suppress political resistance.

Sources featured in the film allegedly claim that arrests linked to drug trafficking are often selective, targeting smaller operators and rivals while protecting powerful individuals connected to political and business networks.

Matinyarire said the investigation also focuses heavily on what it describes as “black and white gold” smuggling routes involving illegal mining activities, violent mine takeovers, and large-scale gold smuggling syndicates.

Under what the documentary reportedly terms the “black route,” politically connected individuals are alleged to be using elements within state institutions, including the Ministry of Mines and sections of the judiciary, to facilitate the seizure of mining claims from established operators.

The documentary allegedly links machete gangs commonly known as “Al Shabaab” to violent intimidation campaigns targeting artisanal miners and mining communities during mine takeovers.

According to the claims raised in the film, some seized mines are allegedly absorbed into elite-controlled syndicates that monopolise gold trading before smuggling the mineral to Dubai without paying taxes or royalties.

The documentary also reportedly alleges that some mining operations exploit workers under inhumane conditions, with labourers allegedly being paid using food parcels instead of wages.

Under the so-called “white route,” the film allegedly implicates white commercial farmers, Chinese nationals, and business syndicates accused of conducting illegal mining operations before smuggling gold out of Zimbabwe through private aviation channels, including Charles Prince Airport.

Additional smuggling routes allegedly pass through Kanyemba and the upper Zambezi River into Zambia using boats transporting gold destined for international markets.

Matinyarire further claimed that one unnamed cabinet minister interviewed in the documentary allegedly stated that some syndicates move gold worth as much as US$30 million every month.

The unreleased documentary also reportedly alleges the existence of human trafficking and arms smuggling operations along the Kanyemba corridor, with migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia allegedly being transported through Zimbabwe into South Africa for fees of up to US$10,000 per person.

Commenting on the findings, Matinyarire said the allegations point to what he described as a “deep governance and accountability crisis.”

“The claims being raised are extremely serious and, if proven, suggest the capture of state institutions by criminal interests. Zimbabweans deserve transparency, accountability, and protection from criminal networks that destroy communities and the economy,” he said.

The producers of the documentary said measures were being taken to protect whistleblowers and sources featured in the film amid fears of reprisals and security risks.

Zimbabwean authorities had not officially responded to the allegations by Wednesday evening.