Zim Diaspora

Editor

LAST week we published an exclusive story implicating one of Zimbabwe's white farmers, Charles Davy for allegedly "aiding and abetting" the Zanu-PF regime for various reasons. Mr Davy has responded combatively by editing our story which he dismisses as inaccurate and despicable. Below we republish our story which Mr Davy has edited with RED.

However, The Zim Diaspora is still withholding some incriminating secret documents which implicates Mr Davy together with another South African farmer (named) based in Gauteng and operating from Musina. We are yet to make an editorial decision on whether to go aheard with the publication of these documents in view of the lawsuit threat by Mr Davy.  We are currently reviewing the threat.

Edited version By Charles Davy

HARARE - When most white landowners were scurrying for cover from marauding Zanu PF youths, one Charles Davy was enjoying himself at Matetsi Wildlife Enterprises.  A hunter by day and a Zanu PF collaborator by night aptly describes the man behind the name, Charles Davy. Rubbish I do not get involved in politics and have never ever joined any political party.

To many, he is an animal saviour. He owns many conservatives from Matetsi to Zambia. Charles Davy is a hunter, an animal philanthropist, is that all? Far from it. . This is correct

Six months of undercover investigations on Charles Davy revealed that he has funded Zanu PF since 2002 and has partnered senior Zanu PF officials in illicit rhino horn trade. The officials are Webster Shamu and Emmerson Mnangagwa. This is absolute rubbish, I again reiterate that I do not know and have never met Emmerson Mnangagwa and am not in business with him in any way, I have never traded bought or sold a single Rhino horn in my life.

I used to be in business in Webster Shamu though my holdings in HHK in 1996 and he was a great business like partner, while I am not involved with him in business any more I still talk to him and consider him a friend, we have known each other since 1996. I am not embarrassed about this fact.

A confidential report acquired by this reporter confirmed the above.

Circumstances are that at the beginning of Zimbabwe’s land reform program found his vast business empire threatened. President Mugabe and Zanu PF targeted white landowners. To this end, Davy hatched a plan to save his land. Paying homage to the militia party that was terrorizing blacks and whites alike became his master plan and key to his continued stay. Rubbish again I have never met any Militia and we never ever saw them in our district.

As did all farmers, I dealt through local District council and the local Land committee. I have ten years of letters and documents relating to this which I can make available to anyone interested in the truth rather than a story, I gave up 140,000 acres of agricultural land in order to retain our wildlife holdings.

It marked the beginning of his marriage with Zanu PF. Despite spirited denials by Mr. Davy, secret documents have exposed what he really is. He has not only funded terror to save his wildlife business but he has treated his workers worse than animals. One of his former workers had this to say, “At one time our pay was less than US 15 cents per month and many of us slept on bare floors without blankets. We couldn’t do anything, because he told us that President Mugabe ‘knew’ him. We just suffered” This is the most despicable rubbish I have ever heard, any person with the slightest knowledge of the workings of the district land committees will know that when the land issue was first stated in 2000 it was policy to take half the farms for re-settlement. Within this it was the policy that first farms put on the list for acquisition were the farms owned by farmers who did not have good relations in dealing with their labour and the local communities.

There are may be many reasons why we have survived from (Bilateral protection agreements,) ( the district we are in) or  because I  recognized that I owned far more land then I needed and agreed to give some up BUT perhaps the main reason that we survived is because we have excellent relations with our labour and local communities, we have great outreach programmes to our local communities and we employ over 300 people in our district.

In July of 2009 Mr. Davy met with President Mugabe. The meeting was arranged by Minister Mnangagwa. The report says that Webster Shamu and Mr Davy have met several times in Chegutu, twice in July 2010. Again, Mr. Davy has managed to meet President Rupiah Banda of Zambia and DRC Joseph Kabila in the course of his ‘business’.  I have never met President Mugabe or Mnangagwa and I have never met anyone in Chegutu. I often talk to W Shamu and I meet him in Harare if I want to talk to him. I have met President Rupiah Banda as an investor in the Zambian economy but I have never even seen Joseph Kabila of the DRC, cant think who dreams up all this rubbish

HHK Safaris surprised many when they solely landed all government owned concessions. Webster Shamu though his company Famba Safaris obtained one concession, the Chirisa concession though an open public auction, I was at that auction and I bid against W Shamu for this concession but he paid more than I was prepared to pay. Four years after the purchase of this concession by Shamu HHK bought a 50 % stake in Famba in 1996. We did not buy from Shamu we bought from his existing partners.   But the truth was Mr. Davy had paid a fortune which sources in the state security organ peg at a whopping USD44 000 in 2001. The money was crucial in President Mugabe’s presidential crusade that left many dead, raped and homeless. To Davy, the money meant concessions. Absolute Rubbish never paid a cent to any government organization.

His concessions covered central Midlands, Matetsi safari , Sabi area, the south western and south eastern of lake Kariba and some parts of Gonarezhou in the lowveld. HHK safaris became the marketing arm on behalf of several Zanu PF owned concessions. Famba Safaris owned by Webster Shamu, Khanondo owned by Obert Mpofu, Unit 6 owned by General Chiwenga among others. I do not have and have never had any Farm or concession in the midlands  in the midlands Neither HHK or any company in which I am a shareholder has had or has any property in the MIDLANDS, We have no farms or concessions in the SABI no concessions in the Gonarezhou nothing at all to do with Unit 6 and nothing at all to do with Khanondo.

THE FACTS ARE: that I used to have a concession Unit 1 in Matetsi which I bought on open public auction, the national parks who I had bought this concession from allowed it to be invaded and taken from me.

I also had an interest in a farm in Matetsi that has been taken from me.

Recent security reports implicate Mr. Davy and his accomplices in illegal rhino trade. According to a secret report in our possession army intelligence officers led by one Colonel Dube based at Defence

House in Harare provide guns and helicopter. On the other hand Ministers Shamu and Mnangagwa cushion the groups from any prosecution and arrests. Joceline Chiwenga, wife to Army General Constantine Chiwenga is fingered in the secret report as part of the rhino horn racket. This is all rubbish and I repeat I do not know and have never met and am not in any business with Joceline Chiwenga, Mnangagwa, Colonel Dube. I have never traded or bought or sold a single rhino horn.

I was W Shamu’s partner though HHK in Chirisa.

According to the secret reports Chirisa is owned by Famba Safaris in which Minister Shamu is a significant shareholder, this concession is run by HHK a company in which I sold my shareholding 2006 and have nothing to do with this company since. I sold my shareholding for purely commercial reasons.

Unit 1 and Kasibi held by Matetsi Wildlife Expired and taken from me Matetsi wildlife in about 2003 and have had nothing to do with it since then, Chete owned by Burmakino Travel and Tours, Omay by National Safaris Burmakino Travel and tours, National Safaris are nothing to do with me  and Lemco owned by Mazunga Safari. The report further alleges that HHK Safaris represent Famba Safaris internationally.

In the report proceeds from Famba Safaris have been managed and distributed using Matetsi bank accounts. Zanu PF’s Shamu and Mr. Davy are approved the transaction. Traced transactions point to international transfers handled and destined for offshore accounts in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Switzerland the report further alleges. Absolute rubbish. I have had nothing to do with any funds from HHK and Matetsi Wild life has not had a bank account since it lost its concessions in about 2005.

In his homage Mr Davy funded part of Mnangagwa’s 2005 election campaign and footed all costs of Shamu’s campaign in 2005. Again, Mr Davy donated undisclosed amounts in foreign currency to Shamu for his 2008 campaign. Rubbish

The report further reveals that In May 2008 Charles Davy met Shamu at Wild Geese lodge near Mazowe. The meeting was for his donation to Zanu PF Mashonaland West campaign. The money was handed over to then Mash Wet Chairman John Mafa. Have not been to the wild geese hotel since 2001 and do not know John Mafa and have never given him money.

The secret Intelligence report points to Charles Davy as being involved in the smuggling of ivory to China and Vietnam using his Chinese links in Asia. Two individuals have been involved, one Lee Hu Ming and a businessman now with Sino Zim. Information at hand shows the involvement of army intelligence from Harare’s Defence House as well as from 1 Commando base. At Defense House Mr. Davy’s contact is Col Dube. Never heard of Col Dube and don’t know one single Chinese in Zimbabwe or anywhere else in the world and have never met Lee Hu or Sino Zim where does this rubbish come from. I have not sold ivory for 30 years.

In the operation army Helicopters disguised as army Red Cross ambulances or test flights land in Hwange National Park to pick ivory belonging to Charles Davy and partners.  Secret details from the

National Parks show that Mr. Davy’s has sold trophies extending him into areas under government jurisdiction. Action against him on account of orders from Hon Mnangagwa and Shamu. I have never ever been granted a single animal in Hwange national park and I have not sold Trophies in the park, and I have not been in an Army helicopter since 1980. This stuff is so easily checked out with the people that run the park. Who dreams up this rubbish

The report show commandos hired from 1 Commando Barracks stay at HKK Safaris when poaching in Hwange National. In many other cases they are given accommodation at Matetsi or Bubye. As far as I know HHK has nothing to do with Hwange. I do not have a place in Matetsi and we have never ever had any commando’s at Bubye.

This entire thing is written by someone with snippets of info and no facts or even proper detail. These info provided in this article is so easy to check out in Zimbabwe it is all a matter of Public record and it would seem absurd that someone who in fact knew anything about the way things worked in Zimbabwe would write an absolutely absurd article as this.

Besides the fact that I am a businessman, I am a property developer, own shares in a hunting company in Zimbabwe and Zambia and besides the fact that I was involved with Mr Shamu and he is a personal friend of mine there is nothing factual here.

If this is the stuff you want to check out you can do this in a couple of days, there are people who are involved in trying to protect all the wildlife areas in Zimbabwe who have all the facts and would gladly see you.

Regards Charles

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