Bank accounts of Mugabe’s allies frozen

Zimbabwe’s central bank has ordered that the bank accounts of two top allies of ousted President Robert Mugabe be frozen, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.

In a directive sent to the country’s financial institutions, it ordered them to “identify and freeze” all accounts run by former government ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere.

The two were influential members of a faction within the ruling Zanu-PF party which backed former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s campaign to succeed her husband.

The whereabouts of the two have been unclear since last month’s military takeover, which forced Mr Mugabe, 93, to resign after 37 years in power.

The central bank’s directive also ordered that all accounts of companies where the two former ministers are directors “or have a known beneficial interest” be frozen.

Mr Moyo, who was the higher education minister, has tweeted that the directive “spells doom for ordinary people and the businesses”.

He said due process had not been followed:

“@ProfJNMoyo The real risk & possibility that bank accounts can be frozen just like that without due process in the so called New Era in Zimbabwe run by the Military, spells doom for ordinary people or businesses and worse for investors!”