Grace Mugabe under watch for Ivory smuggling

Former feisty Zimbabwe first lady, Grace Mugabe is currently under investigation by authorities in Zimbabwe for her ties to an ivory smuggling ring.

Reports say Grace came under scrutiny by authorities after a three-month undercover mission by Australian wildlife photographer Adrian Stern.

According to Stern, he discovered Grace’s involvement with the poaching and smuggling syndicate when he began looking into the illegal ivory trade last December.

Read also: Supermarket hostage taker killed by French police

“Ivory was being sourced either from the national park’s vault, being thieved or pilfered, or from live elephants being killed by poaching syndicates. The syndicate would then sell to Grace Mugabe’s clientele,” he said.

“She would then be able to pack that and send it out through the airport. Anything through that airport, that was the property of the first lady, was not searched or scanned in any way.”

In his reaction to the incident, Christopher Mutsvangwa, a special adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, said Zimbabwe’s government “will seek answers from all parties including former First Lady Grace Mugabe … about their knowledge of the illegal export of prohibited items from our country.”

Staff, lawyers and relatives of embattled Grace Mugabe’s are yet to comment nor respond to the allegations and findings made by Stern.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now