By Farai D Hove | ZimEye | In a photograph circulated today, President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seen standing beside businessman Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, wearing a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League medal belonging to the newly promoted club, Scotland FC. The imagery is striking—not just because of the president’s wide grin, but because of the symbolic power behind it.
The moment unintentionally echoes the theatrical bravado of Idi Amin’s self-styled title “Last King of Scotland”, a satirical display of dominance and myth-making. Here, Mnangagwa—medal around his neck, scarf draped in national colours—appears in a similarly regal pose, as though stepping into the throne room of Scottland, not as a visitor, but as the king himself.
When the gold runner brings the medal to the real boss — Mnangagwa poses with Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, the Scotland FC president exposed in Gold Mafia. The picture says everything without saying a word.
Pedzai Sakupwanya: Gold Trader, Club President, and Mnangagwa’s Shadow Lieutenant
Sakupwanya, the president of Scotland FC, is widely known as Zimbabwe’s biggest gold runner. He has long been associated with deep-rooted gold networks alleged to operate in the shadows of state power.
His role was thrust into global scrutiny in the Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary, where he appeared as one of the key figures in Zimbabwe’s illicit gold economy. The documentary exposed networks of money laundering, gold smuggling, and politically protected operators—placing both Sakupwanya and Mnangagwa at the centre of the allegations. Sakupwanya was portrayed as a pivotal conduit in systems that allegedly funnel gold on behalf of politically connected elites, with the presidency’s name repeatedly invoked as the ultimate shield.
The Medal, the Visit, and the Message
Against that backdrop, today’s photograph lands with heavy irony.
Sakupwanya—fresh from football glory—stands beside the president in a neat suit. Mnangagwa, on the other hand, wears Sakupwanya’s club medal like a ceremonial crown. For many observers, the scene suggests a relationship far deeper than sport.
If Sakupwanya runs the gold networks, and if those networks feed into the very centre of power, then the implication is clear:
Mnangagwa is not just celebrating Scotland FC. He is signalling ownership of the entire ecosystem—gold and football alike.
The Subtle Coronation
Just as Idi Amin adorned himself with Scottish regalia to dramatise authority, Mnangagwa’s medal moment represents a quiet coronation. Not as the “Last King of Scotland”—but as the “Owner of Scottland” in Zimbabwean terms, crowned by the man whose fortunes have long been tied to his own.
A gold runner.
A president.
A medal.
And a photograph that says more than any press statement ever could.
In Zimbabwean politics, symbols are never accidental. Today’s image is no exception.