By James Gwati-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s niece, Henrietta Rushwaya, has been convicted for a failed 2020 gold smuggling operation.

The Zimbabwe Miners Federation president was apprehended at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport attempting to transport 6kg of gold, worth a staggering US$333,042.28, through the VIP route.
Although two accomplices from the Central Intelligence Organisation were initially charged, they were later acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

Rushwaya’s defense claimed that she mistakenly picked up the wrong bag containing the gold instead of her own.

Despite her plea, she was remanded in custody until her sentencing on November 10, 2023, as she failed to produce a valid export permit and presented a forged invoice and packing list from a dubious company named Ali Japan 786 (Pvt) Limited.