Financial scandals that shook Zimbabwe: Roger Boka & United Merchant Bank

Roger Boka thrived as an icon, until his bank went bust. Roger was a man of many firsts. He was the first black Zimbabwean to own a private plane, and a Rolls Royce. In 1994, Roger became the first black to be given a tobacco merchant’s license. His bank, UMB, was among the first indigenous banks to be given a license. Yet on 29 April 1998, his business empire came crashing. A massive ZW$1.2 billion scandal involving forged CSC bills led to the collapse of UMB. This episode looks at Roger Boka, the maverick, and the collapse of his bank.