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Simon Rudland has been here before. When allegations emerge, he denies them and calls them a smear. This time, he says the motive is money.
The Zimbabwean billionaire and co-owner of Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation says he is the target of an alleged extortion attempt that triggered a coordinated social media campaign falsely linking him to a plot to destabilize President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government. Anonymous accounts on X have circulated claims that Rudland is financing political subversion aimed at overthrowing the administration, accusations he says are entirely fabricated.
"I generally don't respond to social media, however it is both disheartening and unacceptable to find my name being mentioned in conspiracy theories that are baseless and evidently orchestrated to undermine my professional reputation," Rudland said in a statement.
Sources familiar with the matter say the campaign may have been triggered after individuals allegedly aligned with the ruling Zanu PF party attempted to solicit financial support from Rudland. When he reportedly declined, the online campaign followed. Rudland's business portfolio spans tobacco, mining, construction and logistics, with investments valued at more than $1 billion and a reported workforce exceeding 30,000 people.
The fabricated claims specifically alleged that Rudland was secretly funding the Constitution Defenders Forum, a pressure group led by former Finance Minister Tendai Biti that is opposing Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which proposes extending Mnangagwa's tenure beyond 2028. The smear also alleged collusion between Rudland, Biti and former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere in a purported plot against the state.
The controversy sits against a backdrop of intensifying political pressure surrounding the amendment. A Zanu PF activist, Talent Rusere, has filed a court application seeking to bar Biti and lawyer Fadzai Mahere from speaking publicly against the bill. Constitutional lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, who represents war veterans challenging the amendment, was recently attacked despite a police presence. Both Madhuku and Biti have approached courts to challenge police restrictions on meetings discussing the proposed changes.
Rudland said he remains committed to government-led economic development and intends to continue expanding his business operations in Zimbabwe.
The latest episode is not the first time Rudland has faced serious public allegations. In 2023, Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia investigative documentary alleged his involvement in gold smuggling and money laundering operations across Southern Africa, claims he denied in full.
In 2022, the South African Revenue Service froze assets linked to Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation over alleged tax evasion. Rudland has consistently denied all prior allegations. In 2019, he survived an assassination attempt in Johannesburg, shot three times outside an industry association office. No perpetrator was ever charged.
