Zimbabwean tycoon released on bail of ZW$5 million

By Violet Gonda

25 July 2006

John Bredenkamp, the business tycoon who was arrested on Friday, was released on ZW$5 million (£5) bail on Tuesday. The state mouthpiece The Herald newspaper reported early last month that the National Economic Conduct Inspectorate (NECI) raided Bredenkamp’s companies to investigate cases linked to economic crimes. He was accused of flouting exchange control regulations, tax evasion and contravening the Citizenship Act.

But journalist Peta Thornycroft said when he appeared in court the fraud squad failed to provide anything for the state to prosecute him with except for the accusation that he holds m ore than one passport. A Zimbabwean and a South African passport.

Thornycroft said she discovered that the authorities had not brought him to court on Monday for his bail application because they were not ready with their paperwork and not because of the fuel and transport shortages as had been reported. “They were looking for commercial charges but they couldn’t find any, so far.”

It is reported that Bredenkamp admitted he has two passports. He was born in South Africa and is a naturalised Zimbabwean citizen. He is expected to appear in the magistrate’s court Wednesday for his remand appeal while his trial on the passport issue will start in August. The mogul had to surrender both his passports and report once a week as part of his bail conditions.

According to Thornycroft, Bredenkamp’s lawyers believe “his arrest on Friday at four o’clock in the morning looked like an act of spite on someone’s part.”

Many were surprised by the wealthy businessman’s arrest as he has been a major supporter of the ruling party. But the succession wars within ZANU PF have split the party into two camps and analysts believe Bredenkamp is probably being targeted because of his close ties to Emmerson Mnangagwa - the ZANU PF chef who is considered to have lost favour with the party’s top officials.

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