Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that she is going “through a lot” in her life following the recent arrest of her son, Neville on allegations of money laundering and illegally dealing in foreign currency.
Furthermore, Mutsvangwa’s husband, Christopher, was fired from Cabinet by President Emmerson Mnangagwa early this year, and their granddaughter, Nonica, died in a car accident last year.
Mutsvangwa spoke about her hardships while addressing mourners at the funeral wake of the late Nyaradzo Funeral Services Chaplain General Reverend Ellison Kamupira this week. She said:
I was out of the country when he (Kamupira) died. I really have a lot happening in my life right now but I saw it fit to come and give him a befitting sendoff.
Business Times reported sources as saying Mutsvangwa broke down when she visited Neville in remand prison and openly castigated unnamed individuals in government whom she accused of targeting her family.
According to the report, she was heard saying the target on her family was not the reason “we went to war” in an apparent reference to her participation in the 1970s war of independence together with her husband Chris.
In a leaked audio last week, Mutsvangwa said the charges of illegal foreign currency trading against Neville were fabricated. She said:
It’s definitely political victimization because my son doesn’t trade in foreign currency, he doesn’t trade in ZiG so I don’t know what it is and why it had to wait for me to be out of the country. It appears it was timed to coincide with my absence.
Chris was the Minister of War Veterans Affairs, chairman of the War Veterans Association and ZANU PF spokesman at the same time his wife was the Women Affairs Minister, making them one of the most powerful couples in Zimbabwean politics.
Neville was arrested on Wednesday last week together with Elias Majachani and Simbarashe Tichingana and are facing charges of dealing in foreign currency, trading in cash, and money laundering
Neville was also found in possession of a Starlink router and antenna, according to prosecutors.
The trio’s bail application was dismissed by Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi who advised them to return to court on May 30 for routine remand.
