Bulawayo, Zimbabwe— Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) units on Thursday arrested prominent Bulawayo businessman Mohammed Daka in connection with fraudulent activities and ownership claims at Fools Mine.
This publication can authoritatively reveal that ZACC officials went to his house around 0400 hours to extract him for questioning.
However, Daka is alleged to have sneaked out of his house by jumping over his precast wall clad in his boxer shorts .
He was, however, arrested around 13:00 hours and was being questioned at the time of writing.
He was arrested in foiled attempt to skip to Botswana
Police and court records indicate that Daka is facing charges related to attempting to seize control of Sheng AN Mining, a registered mining company in Umguza, and selling its excavator valued at USD 300,000 for USD USD150.000.
He also violated bail conditions and was arrested in Plumtree.
To cover their alleged rot, Daka and his alleged accomplice Dumisani Dube caused the arrest of businessmen Munyaradzi Charakupa, Victor Jaja, Tawanda Mangi, Paul Chikaingesu, and Percy Member on false allegations of fraud and extortion charges.
The five businessmen were acquitted before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja.
The company had changed its name from Fools Investments to Sheng AN Mining in 2022 but Daka allegedly claimed ownership and sold the excavator with the help of corporate rescue practitioner Dumisani Dube who stuttered in court when the duo had falsely accused
Earlier, before his arrest , ZACC officials based in Bulawayo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had told this publication that Daka was believed to be with his accomplice, Dube.
Fools Mine is a gold mine situated in the Hope Fountain area, about 18 kilometres from Bulawayo along the Matopos highway. At the heart of this scandal is the self-appointed director, Mohamed Daka.
Fools Mine is known for its rich, fine gold deposits, primarily extracted through the elution process. This method is capital-intensive, requiring significant investment in proper plant and equipment to maximise ore extraction and tonnage output.
Originally owned by the late former Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Shuixing Xu, and prominent Harare-based businessman Mr. Wang, the mine’s ownership became contentious following the ambassador’s death. His son, Xiaofei Xu, took over operations but faced manipulation and threats from Daka, who was part of the mine’s management.
Daka allegedly coerced Xiaofei into making unexplained payments and claimed to be affiliated with the CIO. Disputes escalated, leading to Xiaofei’s deportation from Zimbabwe.
Daka is strongly believed to have been behind the deportation of Xiaofei.
Upon Xiaofei Xu’s departure, his lawyer, Mr. Marshall Rubvuwe, was given power of attorney to manage the mine. However, Daka began claiming full ownership, citing debts owed to him by the mine.
He lied that he was a shareholder with his shareholding at 52 percent. Using his fake shareholding power, he went on to grab and sell functional machinery, including an excavator valued at USD 281,750, a VW Amarok, and two Honda Fits.
Daka was arrested and taken to court on July 17, 2024, for these actions.
Daka’s fraudulent activities extended to manipulating the Indigenous law to produce fake documents to claim ownership, resulting in a court battle with Rubvuwe. Despite hiring prominent lawyers and attempting to bribe court officials, Daka’s efforts were unsuccessful.
