African Development Networking Trust

Different reactions and fallout from Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia investigative news film continue coming as main actors and other players manoeuvre behind the scenes to protect themselves amid mounting pressure and threats by movers and shakers. Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe security manager Cleopas Chidodo, who featured prominently in the documentary, is now backtracking on his claims that former first lady Grace Mugabe smuggled diamonds and ivory worth millions of dollars for self-enrichment. Chidodo told Al Jazeera's undercover reporters that Grace used her position to smuggle diamonds and ivory out of the country without the late former president Robert Mugabe’s knowledge. Chidodo initially revealed how planes would be sent to diamond mines where the finest gems would be handpicked and flown to Dubai via Harare International Airport (now Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport). Chidodo said Grace was involved in ivory trafficking, with poachers deployed to kill elephants and then ivory being flown out of the country as cargo, raking in millions in the process. “She wanted to take things out and Mugabe did not know,” Chidodo said during Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia documentary. “They would go out there and kill elephants and stuff like that. Poachers would then prepare the ivory. “It would come to the airport as cargo in big containers, if the ivory comes and the supervisor asks, they will just say it is for the first family and no one will ask further." He added: “The plane goes to diamond mines and they select some nice diamonds to put in the plane. The plane will come from the diamond mine and go straight to Dubai, no papers, no what. “They were making money, they made a lot of money."

Police officer caught on camera in the bush with a schoolgirl. Who is this cop?