Staff Writer
Hot on the heels of Gold Mafia expose by Al Jazeera’s investigative news documentary — Gold Mafia — a play that sets out to show the mineral plunder of Zimbabwean minerals has been revisited at Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre tonight.
The play — Half Empty Half Full — was first performed 10 years ago way before the Al Jazeeera explosive documentary.
Starring seasoned actor Teddy Mangawa and Tafadzwa Hananda, the two-man hander is still as relevant now as it was 10 years ago.
Episode4 of Al Jazeera’s revealed investigative news film Gold Mafia, revealed gold smuggling, money laundering and corruption, with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa ultimately coming out as Mario Puzo’s Vito Corleone (Brando) — The Godfather or simply mafia boss.
Al Jazeera’s investigation shows that different gold smuggling syndicates looting gold and salting away proceeds to offshore accounts have one common thread — links to Mnangagwa.
Main characters in the film who sucked Mnangagwa into the vortex of action include his own envoy and ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel, a self-styled prophet who is a key interlocutor throughout the documentary (Diplomatic Mafia), Rikki Doolan (Diplomatic Mafia), Ewan Macmillan (Mr Gold), Kamlesh Pattni (Gold Dealer Brother Paul) and Alistair Mathias (Gold Trader — The Architect).
Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia, the Family Lady, and his gold baron Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya (New Mr Gold) kept the President firmly at the centre of action in the last episode.
One gold smuggler described Mnangagwa — referred to in some instances as Mr Jones — as his business partner.
Another talked of him as an on-and-off partner whom he still meets. A third said he had to keep the president in the loop about gold smuggling operations.
Half Empty Half Full will run until May 20 at Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre and admission is US$3 starting at 6pm.
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