One of Zimbabwe’s most influential diplomats, Uebert Angel, says he is number two in the country in terms of hierarchy from President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
If the claims are anything to go by, it means that Angel occupies a higher position than Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Chiwenga was the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) when the military staged a coup in November 2017, which removed former President Robert Mugabe from power.
Some political commentators believe Chiwenga is the man in charge of the country, with Mnangagwa just the face of the government.
Angel, who was appointed a special envoy and ambassador-at-large to Europe and the Americas by Mnangagwa in 2021, boastfully told Al Jazeera undercover journalists the position was created specifically for him. He said:
I am an ambassador-at-large; I am an ambassador to 85 countries. As the special envoy, I am a representative of the President.
If you then look on paper in that position, I am number two, and there is no position like that in the country.
It was just one position that was never filled in. And I occupy that, it was created for me.
Angel is a self-proclaimed prophet at his Good News Church and claims he can heal the sick and predict the outcomes of elections and football matches.
In Episode One of the Al Jazeera documentary, Gold Mafia, Angel boasted that he could assist his guests to launder as much as US$1 billion in cash using diplomatic cover.
Angel appeared to be encouraging them to take advantage of his close ties with Mnangagwa.
More: Pindula News