HARARE - Top Zanu (PF) officials have secretly recalled Zimbabwean diplomats in order to replace them with the relatives and friends of officials linked to Zanu (PF) as a carefully designed plan to burst travel sanctions imposed by some Western governments, a report has revealed.

The report also pointed out that in some Asian countries, the relatives are playing a key role as agents for diamond smuggling and other business deals including illegal arms trading and money laundering.

The newspaper report says sources in the ministry of foreign affairs have revealed that several middle level career diplomats who were based in Europe, China, South Africa, India, New Zealand and Australia were being recalled under the pretext that the government was broke and could not sustain them. They have, however, been replaced by children and relatives of top Zanu (PF) and government officials.

The syndicate is run by the Foreign Affairs Permanent secretary Joey Bimha who is a close relative of the First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Last year Bimha was denied a visa by the United States Embassy in Harare when Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai travelled to Washington.

Mr Bima who doubles up as government official and family spokesman for Grace Mugabe at funerals is a key figure to the syndicate running the show of sanctions bursting.

His brother, the current Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce and former Air Zimbabwe Board Chairman Mike Bimha is another key player in the dark arts associated to the First Family.

His previous roles can be traced at Homelink, a Reserve Bank company that swindled many Zimbabweans in the Diaspora of their hard earned money with promises of "Borrowdale Brook" stands which turned out to be farms located in Domboshava rural area.

Mike Bimha used to operate as an agent of Homelink from his base in Manchester, in the United Kingdom before he was recalled for a roll as Air Zimbabwe Chairman over seeing the smuggling of goods in and out of the country.

He has also been involved at Mutumwa Mawere’s SMM Holdings.

The recalled diplomats held positions ranging from counsellors to First Secretaries. "Some of these people (the replacement ‘diplomats’) are not even qualified and do not meet the minimum requirements of the Public Service regulations, while others are too young. The others are prospective students at Universities in countries where they will be posted. Zanu (PF) loyalists are also being rewarded with diplomatic posts," said the source.

Nengomasha Mnangagwa, the daughter of the powerful defence minister and Zanu (PF) secretary for Legal affairs, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is one of people set to benefit from the scheme. "Nengomasha Mnangagwa and several other children of top Zanu (PF) officials completed their diplomatic training last week and very soon they will be deployed to various key embassies all over the world, where they will take up different posts," said the Foreign Affairs official.

He said one of the well connected people who have been given a diplomatic position was Pedro Del Campo, who is now called the Honorary Zimbabwe Tourism Ambassador to Spain. The Spanish-based Del Campo is married to Nyasha Mujuru, a daughter of Vice-president Joyce Mujuru.

"Zanu PF officials are actually boasting that they are busting these sanctions, as their children and relatives are now studying and living comfortably in Europe and USA under the guise of being Zimbabwean diplomats," he said.

Joey Bimha, who was said to be in charge of the programme, was not available for comment as he was with President Mugabe in Libya for the Arab-Africa Summit.

By The Zimbabwean