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Zim cops hunt Mugabe's ally
25/12/2007 09:05 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe police have launched a manhunt for a senior official in President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party in connection with an investigation into illegal foreign currency deals, police said on Monday.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said detectives
wanted to interview David Butau, a businessman and Zanu-PF member of Parliament from Mashonaland Central province, an area which has traditionally supported Mugabe.
State radio also broadcast frequent appeals for Butau to
turn himself in.
"We want to question him in connection with a case involving the externalisation of foreign currency," Bvudzijena said. "We just want to seek clarification and it's urgent that we talk to him, but we can't find him."
Central bank governor Gideon Gono has accused officials in
Mugabe's party and government of fueling black market trading of foreign currency, which is in short supply as a result of a deep economic crisis in the southern African nation.
Inflation has skyrocketed to almost 8 000%.
Gono said officials, working with some businesses, were also
behind the serious cash shortages that have seen thousands of
consumers besiege banks ahead of the Christmas holidays.
The central bank last week introduced Z$750
000 (about $6 at the official exchange rate but just $0.12 on the black market), Z$500 000 and Z$250 000 notes to ease the shortage. The highest banknote still cannot buy a loaf of bread, which costs between Z$800 000 and Z$1 million.
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Zimbabwe Special Report
