By A Correspondent| Dynamos and Highlanders benefactor Kuda Tagwirei fired hundreds of workers at his Sakunda Holdings claiming that sanctions were taking a toll on him just two months before pouring more than US$5 million into the coffers of two Zimbabwe’s biggest football clubs.

Among the hundreds of fired employees were long serving executives including chief operating officer Mberikwazvo Chitambo and head of special projects Clement Kahiya.

However, insiders said Sakunda Holdings has never been broke and firing of workers by Tagwirei was just a ruse exercise meant to dispose off employees he deemed knew ‘too much’ and in the process hoodwink the Americans into believing that their sanctions were working.

“Chitambo and Kahiya had become big elephants in the room, they simply had too much information. Remember, appearing before Parliament in March 2020, Sakunda Chief Operating officer Chitambo showed documents that he said proved that his company had received around US$1 billion between June 2016 and May 2019 for Command Agriculture,” said the source.

“It defies logic that a company which claimed to be on the brink of collapse two months ago can suddenly spring into life sponsoring football to the tune of millions. As usual, Tagwirei is up to something here,” said the source.

Reached for comment, Tagwirei did not respond.

Tagwirei, who is the majority shareholder of CBZ and ZB banks is on the United States sanctions list for aiding the suffering of Zimbabweans through his dubious dealings with the Mnangagwa administration.

The government of Zimbabwe has awarded him contracts in transport, agriculture, mining and infrastructure development among other sectors of the economy.