Paul Nyathi|Shortly after coming into power in November 2017, President Emmerson Mnangagwa gained himself a nickname, “Mr Mega Deals” as he went around the world meeting some fairly unknown investors and claiming to have clinched mega deals with them.

To date, virtually NONE of those mega deals have come to fruition.

ZimEye.com on Thursday managed to hook up with one of the brokers of these mega deals who expressed his dismay on how these fake investors loot money from Africa and leaders like Mnangagwa who rush to “clinch” these unscrupulous deals.

On May 17, 2018, Mnangagwa endorsed a $5,2 billion coal-to-liquid project deal signed between Verify Engineering and South Africa’s Nkosikhona Holdings.

The joint venture was to see a coal to fuel plant being established in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Harare, Mnangagwa said the project was to help Zimbabwe become self-sufficient in fuel manufacturing.

“I am confident that this project will contribute to our energy security and self-sufficiency in terms of liquid fuels, fertiliser and a range of other chemicals,” he said.

The $5,2 billion deal between the government and Nkosikhona Holdings to turn coal into liquid fuels raised eyebrows from the onset with analysts saying the South African company’s credentials were suspect.

Critics also alleged Nkosikhona Holdings did not have known history in extractives according to the company’s online profile.

The company did not appear among South Africa’s liquid fuel producers, but Mnangagwa signed. The deal like all others flopped.

Watch full ZimEye.com interview with the businessman who brokered the mega deal that never materialised.