Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu are now paying the price for challenging the wrong man. Their fallout with controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has thrown them into the eye of a political storm. The two were once powerful businessmen with major government contracts but are now behind bars, facing fraud charges connected to the $7.7 million Presidential Goats Scheme and a $9.2 million street lights tender. But their real crime was daring to cross Chivayo. That single act triggered a chain of events that exposed a much deeper and darker scandal involving some of Zimbabwe’s most powerful individuals.
For months, authorities were aware of the fraud cases involving Chimombe and Mpofu but did absolutely nothing. It was only after their dispute with Chivayo became public that the cases were dusted off and arrests were suddenly made. This is no coincidence. A senior government official revealed that Chivayo turned on his former partners to protect himself and shield high-ranking officials involved in a much bigger mess. That mess is the $100 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission scandal tied to the 2023 general elections. This scandal reaches all the way to President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself, who happens to be a close ally of Chivayo.
The list of names linked to this scandal is shocking but not surprising. Secretary to the President Martin Rushwaya is implicated. So is Priscilla Chigumba, the chairperson of ZEC. Even the President’s daughter, Chido Mnangagwa, has been mentioned in connection with the misuse of public funds during the elections. Chimombe and Mpofu were not charged for the ZEC scandal but their clash with Chivayo drew too much attention to it. Their arrests appear to be more about silencing and punishing them than about justice.
Their lawyers warned them not to return to Zimbabwe. They had travelled to China for business and were told they would be safe if they came back. That was a lie. The moment they landed, they were arrested. It was a setup. Their lawyers were right to be concerned. In Zimbabwe, especially under ZANU PF, the law is often used as a political weapon. The courts are not always fair when the case involves the elite. Chimombe and Mpofu are a perfect example of how the legal system can be twisted to protect the powerful and destroy those who speak out.
So far, they have been denied bail multiple times. The High Court rejected their application for the Presidential Goats Scheme case, even though their trial is just around the corner on October 1. Another bail application for the street lights tender was also rejected. The excuses given by the courts are laughable. One judge said it was pointless to grant bail because the trial is soon. Another said they are too rich and might flee the country. The real reason is simple. They are being punished for upsetting the wrong people.
Prosecutors now accuse them of using fake tax documents to win government contracts. That may or may not be true. What is clear is that if they had not fought with Chivayo, none of this would be happening. Their arrest was not about justice but about control. It is about silencing anyone who threatens to expose how rotten the system is. Chimombe and Mpofu have been thrown under the bus by their former ally. Chivayo remains free and protected, even as his name appears at the center of one of Zimbabwe’s biggest election scandals. This is what power looks like in a captured state.
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