Cashgate-linked fugitive Limumba Karim has died on Sunday morning following a fatal car crash together with prominent Zimbabwean, socialite and businessman Genius Kadungure, affectionately known as Ginimbi, along the Borrowdale road in Harare.
Also in the Rolls Royce which had a head-on collision with a blue Honda Fit was Zimbabwean socialite and video vixen Michelle Amuli, professionally known as Mimi Moana, who died. A few hours earlier, Moana had been celebrating her 26th birthday at the Club Dreams.
Ginimbi is alleged to have been speeding at the time of the accident following a night of partying at Club Dreams in the capital.
The driver of the Honda Fit car that got involved in the accident with Ginimbi survived the crash but is said to be in shock.
Witness Danny Kuwanga, who was one of the first people at the scene, said Kadungure was speeding.
“It happened in front of my eyes. He was speeding. He first overtook me and as he tried to overtake a second vehicle, that’s when he crashed into the Honda Fit driving the opposite way,” Kuwanga said in quotes reported by Zimlive.
Kuwanga said he was joined by three other man and they pulled Kadungure away from the vehicle which was now a fireball.
“The girls didn’t make it out. They were just crying inside the burning car. We couldn’t do anything,” he added.
In his final post on Instagram, where he had over 600,000 followers, Kadungure posted a video, declaring: “Guys it’s time to go out, it’s gonna be going down. We’re going to Dreams (nightclub) in the next few minutes, it’s gonna be going down. It’s Moana’s birthday, we’re going to pop champagne, it’s gonna be champagne showers tonight, see you there.”
As he gets into the vehicle, Kadungure tells his followers he’s “driving Rolls Royce Wraith.” The video cuts out as ‘Hello’ by Kabza de Small and DJ Mapholisa blasts from the US$500,000 motor.
Limumba escaped justice from Malawi and was based in South Africa as he was answering a case together with former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo over involvement in the cashgate scandal, the biggest corruption scandal in Malawi’s history that took place in 2013.
Malawi government was demanding Karim’s extradition from South Africa.
Limumba was facing charges alongside Mphwiyo and others, including civil servants such as former Accountant General David Kandoje, Auzius Kazombo Mwale, Clemence Mmadzi and Roosevelt Ndovi. The list of suspects also includes contractors.
Others are George Banda, Michael Mphatso, Samuel Mzanda who are facing charges of fraud, negligence by public office, money laundering, theft by public servant, theft by servant and conspiracy to defraud government funds amounting to K2 446 817 450.49.
Also charged is an expert in information technology (IT) Steve Likhunya Phiri . Others are Stafford Mpoola, Andrew Patrick Chilalika, Fatch Chungano, Cecilia Mervis Ng’ambi, Gerald Magaleta Phiri and Ndaona Satema.
One of the suspect Maxwell Namata died.
Limumba Karim is survived by three children, one in South Africa, newly born in Mozambique and one in Malawi.
His body will be repatriated to Malawi for burial.
Source: Nyasa Times
