HARARE
–
Lawyers
for
Zimbabwean
billionaire
Simon
Rudland
have
issued
an
urgent
demand
to
the
Zimbabwe
Broadcasting
Corporation
to
retract
a
“defamatory”
article
accusing
him
of
financing
violent
protests
aimed
at
overthrowing
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
government.
The
ZBC
was
given
two
days
to
retract
the
article
under
threat
of
legal
action.
Rudland’s
lawyer
Norman
Chimuka
of
Chimuka
Mafunga
Commercial
Attorneys
wrote
to
ZBC
CEO
Sugar
Chagonda
on
Tuesday
demanding
“a
full,
unconditional,
and
unreserved
withdrawal”
of
the
article
along
with
“an
expression
of
regret”
over
the
statements
made
about
Rudland.
The
ZBC
article,
published
on
March
10
and
titled
“Kasukuwere,
Mambondiyani
plot
violent
protest
using
Biti’s
forum,
ZINASU
and
bloggers
as
fronts,”
alleged
that
Rudland
was
“the
major
sponsor
of
these
machinations”
and
had
“wired
substantial
amounts
of
money
to
bankroll
the
demonstrations,
with
more
expected
from
his
foreign
networks.”
The
article
named
Rudland
alongside
self-exiled
former
cabinet
minister
Saviour
Kasukuwere
and
activist
Danmore
Mambondiyani,
accusing
the
three
of
attempting
to
“orchestrate
violent
mass
protests
aimed
at
effecting
unconstitutional
regime
change.”
This
would
be
achieved,
the
article
claimed,
through
supporting
the
Constitutional
Defenders
Forum,
a
new
organisation
led
by
former
finance
minister
Tendai
Biti
which
is
resisting
moves
to
extend
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
term
by
two
years.
Rudland’s
lawyers
said
the
statements
were
understood
by
any
reasonable
reader
to
mean
that
Rudland
was
“financing
plans
to
violently
and
unconstitutionally
overthrow
an
elected
government,”
amounting
to
an
imputation
of
treason.
The
lawyers
said
ZBC
published
the
article
“without
contacting
our
client
for
verification
as
required
by
professional
and
responsible
journalism.”
“The
article
falsely
imputes
treasonous
actions
to
our
client
while
relying
on
and
hiding
behind
unverified
sources,”
the
letter
states.
The
lawyers
warned
that
if
ZBC
fails
to
retract
the
article,
Rudland
will
seek
an
injunction
and
damages
“without
further
notice.”
Born
in
Harare
in
1971,
Rudland
is
one
of
Zimbabwe’s
wealthiest
businessmen,
with
a
portfolio
valued
at
more
than
US$1
billion
spanning
tobacco,
mining,
construction,
logistics,
agriculture
and
manufacturing
across
the
region.
He
co-founded
Gold
Leaf
Tobacco
Corporation
(GLTC)
with
business
partner
Yakub
Mahomed,
building
it
into
one
of
Southern
Africa’s
largest
cigarette
manufacturers
and
distributors
under
the
Rudland
&
George
(RG)
brand.
His
Cut
Rag
Processors
(CRP)
factory
–
a
US$120
million
facility
in
Harare’s
Aspindale
industrial
area
fitted
with
German
and
Italian
technology
–
is
designed
to
transform
Zimbabwe’s
raw
tobacco
into
value-added
cut
rag
for
export
to
Asian
and
regional
markets.

Rudland
co-founded
Pioneer
Transport
in
1995
alongside
his
brother
Hamish,
a
logistics
company
that
later
expanded
into
Pioneer
Corporation
Africa
(PCA)
through
acquisitions
including
Unifreight,
owners
of
Swift
Transport,
Bulwark
and
Clan.

He
owns
farms,
mines
in
Zimbabwe
and
the
Democratic
Republic
of
Congo,
a
logistics
company
and
a
bus
company.

His
companies
employ
more
than
10,000
people
across
the
region.

The
Rudland
brothers
have
also
been
active
investors
on
the
Zimbabwe
Stock
Exchange,
acquiring
stakes
in
the
financial
and
reinsurance
group
Zimre
through
their
investment
vehicle
Day
River
Corporation
and
in
agricultural
company
CFI
Holdings.
In
2019,
Rudland
survived
an
assassination
attempt
when
he
was
shot
three
times
outside
the
Fair
Trade
Independent
Tobacco
Association
offices
in
Johannesburg.
No-one
was
ever
charged.
Sources
familiar
with
the
latest
matter
say
the
campaign
against
Rudland
may
have
been
triggered
after
individuals
allegedly
aligned
with
Zanu
PF
attempted
to
solicit
financial
support
from
him.
When
he
reportedly
declined,
the
online
campaign
followed.

Rudland
has
denied
the
latest
accusations
outright.
His
lawyers
say
the
allegations
“falsely
and
maliciously
accuse
him
of
sponsoring
a
sedition
and
insurrection
against
an
elected
government.”
ZBC
had
not
responded
to
a
request
for
comment
at
the
time
of
publication.