Harare, Zimbabwe – In a development that has sent ripples through the nation’s mining sector, Dror Jackson, the general manager of Pedstock (Pvt) Ltd, faced intense scrutiny before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy yesterday, struggling to account for the externalisation of over US$1 million in a transaction allegedly linked to payments for the police’s Minerals and Border Patrol Unit.
Jackson’s appearance before the committee comes amidst growing allegations that Pedstock, a company primarily known for irrigation equipment and fertilisers, was used as a conduit to channel significant funds from the state-owned Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) to an obscure Israeli firm, Glamer, which reportedly has no registered offices in Zimbabwe. The controversial transaction is said to be closely connected to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, Francis Gudyanga.
The revelations have reignited concerns about transparency and accountability within government dealings, particularly given Pedstock’s parent company, Nikuv International Projects Limited, which previously courted controversy over accusations of electronically manipulating Zimbabwe’s 2013 elections in favour of then-President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF
. The specter of Nikuv’s past involvement in sensitive national processes now casts a long shadow over this latest financial entanglement.
Under rigorous questioning from the Mines and Energy committee chairperson, Daniel Shumba, Jackson vehemently denied any direct dealings between Pedstock and either the Mines ministry or the MMCZ. “We were just requested by the Mines ministry to receive the transfer from MMCZ, and, as Pedstock, we only did the commercial transfer for a fee of 3%, and it was all done with the approval of the RBZ and was above board,” Jackson asserted
.
He maintained that Pedstock merely facilitated a “confidential transaction” between Glamer and the ministry, acting solely as an intermediary. According to his testimony, Pedstock received more than US$1 million on behalf of Glamer, with an initial transfer of US$400,000 from MMCZ, which was subsequently remitted to the Israeli firm in batches. Jackson insisted that the entire transaction had received clearance from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
However, committee members expressed deep skepticism, stating that Jackson’s explanations raised more questions than answers. Legislators pointed out the implausibility of an agricultural equipment company handling payments purportedly linked to a police unit, suggesting that Pedstock may have been deliberately used by Gudyanga to facilitate illicit financial flows to Glamer.
The committee’s suspicions were further fueled when Jackson initially claimed no knowledge of anyone in the Mines ministry. Yet, under persistent questioning, he later conceded that Pedstock had installed irrigation equipment worth millions of dollars at Gudyanga’s farm. Crucially, this contract coincided with the timing of the transfers to his company, an apparent contradiction that drew sharp criticism from the legislators, who pressed Jackson on the potential connection between the irrigation deal and the MMCZ payments.
In a decisive move, Chairperson Shumba directed Jackson to reappear before the committee on November 28, accompanied by representatives of Glamer from Israel. Jackson was explicitly instructed to produce comprehensive documentation, including copies of all transaction records, invoices from MMCZ, RBZ exchange control approvals, proof of transfers made to Glamer, and full details of the irrigation equipment contract with Gudyanga.
The committee warned that it would not hesitate to escalate the matter if evidence of wrongdoing emerged. This ongoing probe adds to mounting scrutiny over financial dealings within the Mines ministry and raises fresh, troubling questions about the alleged use of corporate conduits to externalise public funds, a practice that continues to plague Zimbabwe’s economy.