Moses Nango: A Personal Biography and Profile, Al Jazeera Documentary, Gold Mafia
Moses Nango is a South African Airways (SAA) staffer who gained national attention in Zimbabwe for his participation in an Al Jazeera documentary titled “Gold Mafia” that uncovered illegal gold mining activities in Zimbabwe. Nango works in the airline industry but has inadvertently become a whistleblower and provided information to the documentary team.
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Who is Moses Nango, and Why is He Trending?
Moses Nango is a customer service agent for South African Airways who was featured in an Al Jazeera documentary called Gold Mafia. The documentary exposed a network of gold smugglers and money launderers operating in Southern Africa, involving Zimbabwean politicians, businessmen and diplomats. Moses Nango admitted that he has been helping people to move gold, money and diamonds through the airport without ever getting caught. He also revealed the names of some of his clients, such as Simon Rudland, a wealthy Zimbabwean who allegedly got a special deal from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to export gold. According to Moses, the gold smugglers predominantly travel in business or first class on Emirates flight EK714. He explained that they are able to successfully pass through the airport undetected and then meet with another individual in Dubai who provides them with payment for the gold.
What is Gold Mafia?
Gold Mafia is a four-part series by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit ( I-Unit) based on dozens of undercover operations spanning three continents, and thousands of documents. The documentary shows how Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is systematically using gold smugglers to get around the chokehold of Western sanctions imposed on the country. The documentary also shows how one of Zimbabwe’s most influential diplomats, Uebert Angel, offered to use his diplomatic status to launder money through a gold-smuggling scheme during an undercover operation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit. The documentary also reveals that Kamlesh Pattni, a Kenyan businessman who was accused of almost bankrupting Kenya through a similar gold scheme, is now operating in Zimbabwe and has close ties with Mnangagwa and his circle. The documentary estimates that Zimbabwe loses 80% of its gold production to smugglers, which amounts to billions of dollars per year.
How did Moses Nango become a trending topic?
Moses Nango became a trending topic on social media after his candid confession and name-dropping in the documentary. Some people applauded him for exposing the corruption and others called for his protection.
