MIKE CHIMOMBE AND MOSES MPOFU THROWN UNDER THE BUS TO PROTECT BIG NAMES

In a shocking turn of events, local businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu have found themselves in deep trouble, all because they crossed paths with their business partner Wicknell Chivayo. A senior government official has revealed that Chivayo turned against them to save himself and protect high-profile government officials involved in a massive US$100 million scandal with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).

Chimombe and Mpofu are currently facing fraud charges related to a US$7.7 million Presidential Goats Scheme and a US$9.2 million street lights tender scam. However, their real mistake seems to be picking a fight with Chivayo over the US$100 million deal, which exposed corruption among senior officials.

“Chimombe and Mpofu may have cases to answer, but their situation is more about politics and money involving senior government officials than actual corruption,” a government official said. The corruption allegations against them had been known for some time, but it was only after the Zec scandal came to light that these cases were brought forward. The authorities had been aware of their involvement in these tenders for a while, but they were only charged after their fight with Chivayo exposed the bigger scandal. If they had stayed quiet, these cases would likely have been ignored.

The Zec scandal has exposed the corruption surrounding Zimbabwe’s disputed 2023 general elections. It has pulled in some very powerful figures, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to Chivayo, and other top officials like Secretary to the President Martin Rushwaya, Zec chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, and the President’s daughter Chido. These officials have been linked to the misuse of public funds during the election process.

Chimombe and Mpofu fell out with Chivayo over payments, which led to the exposure of the Zec corruption. While they were not arrested for the Zec scandal, they were picked up for the fraud charges related to the Presidential Goats Scheme and the street lights tender.

Official sources suggest that Chivayo and these senior officials are now working behind the scenes to make sure Chimombe and Mpofu pay the price for exposing the corruption. Chimombe and Mpofu were even lured back to Zimbabwe from China, where they were on a business trip, under false promises of protection. However, once they returned, they were arrested and detained.

Their lawyers had advised them not to return to Zimbabwe, warning that they would be sacrificed, especially since the rule of law is not always followed in politically charged cases. In Zimbabwe, it is common for the law to be applied selectively, and pretrial detention is often used to punish those accused of crimes related to politics.

As predicted, Chimombe and Mpofu have been repeatedly denied bail. Not because of the seriousness of their charges, but because they are being punished for “not having good table manners while eating with VIPs,” sources say. On Wednesday, the High Court once again rejected their bail appeal in the goats scam case. It was the second time their application had been denied. Their other bail application, related to the street lights scam, was also denied.

High Court Judge Pisirayi Kwenda ruled that Chimombe and Mpofu should proceed to trial and remain in detention for another month. He explained that since the trial date was already set, their bail appeal was pointless. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 1, just over a month away.

Prosecutors have accused Chimombe and Mpofu of forging tax clearance certificates and compliance documents to secure tenders. In the street lights case, Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje denied them bail, stating that they are wealthy men who could easily flee the country to avoid trial. Mambanje noted that if convicted, Chimombe and Mpofu could face a lengthy prison sentence.

This situation leaves Chimombe and Mpofu in a difficult position. They are now trapped in a battle with their powerful former partners, Chivayo and the senior officials backing him. These officials seem determined to bury Chimombe and Mpofu to protect themselves from the fallout of the Zec scandal. It looks like their fight with Chivayo has led to them being thrown under the bus, with little hope of escaping the legal and political storm they now face.