The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
DEPORTED Israeli Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Eliezer Berland might be a fugitive cleric, in short a villain in the eyes of many morally upright Zimbabweans who have read with disgust his alleged sex crimes back home.But the Israeli cleric who entered the country sometime in December last year, brought in a significant amount of business to Bulawayo, together with his entourage of about 150 followers.
Unfortunately for Rabbi Berland, he came into Zimbabwe at a time when memories of Martin Gumbura’s sex scandals were still fresh in the minds of Zimbabweans, who may struggle to see anything positive in him, after his sex offences were unearthed.
According to Arutz Sheva7, an Israeli news website Rabbi Berland fled sex scandals in his homeland, and sought refuge in Zimbabwe which does not have an extradition treaty with the country.
Rough calculations of Berland and his followers’ expenditure during their stay in Zimbabwe show that the group spent over half a million dollars.
The 77-year-old Rabbi was in Zimbabwe for about three months until his deportation last week, while his 150 followers were camped at various lodges in Kumalo suburb, for about a month before they left the country in a huff after their leader’s deportation.
Lodge owners in the city recorded brisk business from the cleric’s presence in the country and would have made more had his visit not been cut short.
Rabbi Berland was meant to stay in the country for the Passover which starts tomorrow and ends on 22 April.
Close associates of the Rabbi here in Zimbabwe, revealed to Sunday News that Berland was spending in excess of $600 per day on accommodation and food for him and his aides during the three months he was here.
Rough estimates would put his total expenditure, during that period, at about $54 000 excluding his travelling expenses to Zimbabwe from Morocco where he had been exiled.
Rabbi’s estimated 150 followers were camped at various lodges around Kumalo area in Bulawayo where they were being charged $50 per night, reportedly on the Rabbi’s account.
This would put their total expenditure on accommodation only at $22 500 for the one month that they were here.
The followers some of whom took up the entire BDP lodge in Kumalo, some rooms at Khumalo Hotel, while others were dotted around the suburb, prepared their own food since they eat a special Jewish diet which most local lodges and hotels cannot prepare.
An average Jewish meal costs around $7 and multiplying that by three meals a day, then further by 150 people, the total number of days they spent in Zimbabwe, which is roughly a month, would put their total expenditure on food at roughly $94 500.
A return air ticket from Tel Aviv to Zimbabwe with South African Airways via Frankfurt costs $1 823 and multiplying that by the number of Berland’s followers who followed him to Zimbabwe, puts their travelling costs at $273 450.
Without factoring in other expenses Berland and his entourage might have incurred on other eventualities encountered during their stay, rough estimates show that the group mauled about $646 950.
Berland’s local associates revealed that all the expenditure was on the cleric’s account.
Israeli media also suggests that Rabbi Berland receives more than $4 million in annual tribute from his followers across the globe, which could explain why the Rabbi was such a big spender during his three-month stay in Zimbabwe.
Taxi drivers in the city also made some decent business courtesy of Berland’s followers who would hire them on different errands around the city.
A taxi driver, Mr Mathias Mpofu told Sunday News that he would get an average of three hires from the Rabbi’s followers and would sometimes charge them more than the normal rate, as the Israelis were not aware of the actual fares.
“Obviously we were making money, these guys are rich, although they can be a bit stingy. On average I made about $50 per day, but of course here and there we inflated the fares just to make extra cash.
“It’s going to be different of course, with these guys gone we won’t make as much money as we used to make in the past month.”
The 77-year-old cleric was brought into the country courtesy of one of his followers Yaron Yamim, who was recently reported to be eyeing huge investments in the country’s mining sector.
Yamim is director of Israel-based Goldenstone Company, which has shown keen interest to invest over $100 million in the country’s mining sector, especially gold, platinum and diamonds as well as the energy sector.
According to Israeli Press, Yamim is linked to and sometimes fronts business interests for one Lev Leviev, who according to Forbes Magazine is worth US$1,3 billion and is ranked Israel’s fifth richest businessman and number 1 347 in the world.
Last week Israeli media reported that Berland’s followers had been transporting Kosher-for-Passover food to Zimbabwe in advance of the hundreds of Shavu Banim hassidim who were expected to travel to meet the Rabbi over the Passover holiday.
A wealthy Jew from Johannesburg donated 600 pounds matzah (unleavened bread) and 60 cases of wine for the expected visitors.
Berland’s lawyer, Sindiso Mazibisa of Cheda and Partners Law firm was reported by our sister paper Chronicle suggesting to the court that Rabbi Berland was so wealthy that he could fuel all government cars to escort him to the airport in a bid to avoid jail.
Contacted for comment on the sentence his client received, Mazibisa believed the frenzy surrounding the Rabbi and his followers was unjustified as they were not the first people to overstay in Zimbabwe.
“I don’t feel justice was done. Frankly speaking this was just a storm being brewed in a tea cup. We have seen people who have overstayed with more than 30 days but were simply made to pay a fine by the department of immigration. Legally there is no basis to call him a fugitive. If he is a fugitive Interpol should be looking for him”, said Mazibisa.
