CHIMOMBE AND MPOFU CAUGHT IN A BIG POLITICAL SCANDAL

Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu are two well-known businessmen in Zimbabwe. They are now in big trouble because of their fight with Wicknell Chivayo, who used to be their business partner. A high-ranking government official has said that Chivayo turned against them to protect himself and other important officials involved in a $100 million scandal with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).

Chimombe and Mpofu are facing charges of fraud. These charges are connected to two big cases: one involving a $7.7 million Presidential Goats Scheme and another involving a $9.2 million street lights tender. But their biggest mistake was fighting with Chivayo. This fight exposed corruption happening among top government officials.

The government knew about the fraud cases for some time, but nothing was done about them. It was only when the Zec scandal came out that things started moving. The fight between Chimombe and Chivayo brought more attention to the corruption happening in the government. According to sources, if Chimombe and Mpofu had stayed quiet, their cases might have been ignored.

The Zec scandal involves the 2023 general elections in Zimbabwe. It includes many powerful people, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to Chivayo, and other top officials like Martin Rushwaya, the Secretary to the President, and Priscilla Chigumba, the chairperson of Zec. Even the President’s daughter, Chido, is linked to the misuse of public money during the election.

Chimombe and Mpofu’s problems began when they argued with Chivayo over money. This fight revealed the corruption in the Zec scandal. Even though they were not arrested for the Zec scandal, they were arrested for other cases related to the Presidential Goats Scheme and the street lights tender.

Sources say that Chivayo and his powerful friends are now working together to make sure Chimombe and Mpofu take the blame for exposing the corruption. Chimombe and Mpofu were tricked into coming back to Zimbabwe from China, where they were on a business trip. They were told that they would be safe if they came back, but once they returned, they were arrested.

Their lawyers had told them not to come back, warning that they would be punished for exposing the truth. In Zimbabwe, it is common for the law to be used unfairly, especially in cases involving politics. Chimombe and Mpofu now find themselves in this situation.

As predicted, Chimombe and Mpofu have been denied bail more than once. This isn’t because their charges are very serious, but because they are being punished for causing problems for important people. On Wednesday, the High Court refused to grant them bail for the goats scam case. This was the second time their bail request was turned down. Their other bail request, for the street lights case, was also rejected.

High Court Judge Pisirayi Kwenda said that Chimombe and Mpofu should stay in jail until their trial, which is scheduled for October 1. The judge said that since the trial is so close, it did not make sense to give them bail.

Prosecutors have accused Chimombe and Mpofu of using fake tax documents to win government contracts. In the street lights case, Magistrate Stanford Mambanje also denied them bail. The magistrate said that because Chimombe and Mpofu are rich, they could easily leave the country to avoid trial. He also said that if they are found guilty, they could face a long time in jail.

Chimombe and Mpofu are now in a very tough situation. They are caught in a battle with their former partner, Chivayo, and the powerful people supporting him. These important officials seem to be doing everything they can to make sure Chimombe and Mpofu take the blame, so they can protect themselves from the Zec scandal. It looks like Chimombe and Mpofu have been sacrificed, and it’s hard to see how they will get out of this big political and legal mess.