This
development
is
the
latest
in
a
series
of
high-profile
fraud
cases
that
have
entangled
the
duo,
raising
serious
questions
about
accountability
and
the
recovery
of
public
funds.
At
the
heart
of
the
immediate
concern
is
the
US$3
million
that
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
were
ordered
to
repay
following
their
conviction
in
December
last
year
for
defrauding
the
government
of
over
US$7
million.
The
fraud
was
perpetrated
through
the
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme,
a
programme
designed
to
uplift
rural
communities
by
improving
food
security,
nutrition,
and
incomes
for
vulnerable
groups,
including
orphans
and
the
elderly.
The
High
Court
had
stipulated
a
deadline
of
28
February
for
the
restitution,
a
date
that
has
now
come
and
gone
without
the
required
payments
being
made.
According
to
the
court’s
sentencing,
Moses
Mpofu,
aged
50,
received
a
22-year
jail
sentence.
Three
years
of
this
sentence
were
suspended
for
good
behaviour,
and
an
additional
four
years
were
suspended
on
the
condition
that
he
repaid
US$2,060,250.60
by
the
aforementioned
deadline.
Similarly,
Mike
Chimombe,
aged
44,
was
handed
a
17-year
sentence,
with
three
years
suspended
for
good
behaviour
and
two
years
suspended
if
he
repaid
US$964,064.64
by
the
same
date.
The
Ministry
of
Lands,
Agriculture,
Fisheries,
Water,
and
Rural
Development
has
confirmed
that
no
payments
have
been
received
thus
far.
Permanent
Secretary
Professor
Jiri
stated,
“We
have
not
received
an
update,
yet.”
This
failure
to
meet
the
restitution
deadline
could
have
further
implications
for
the
convicted
businessmen.
While
they
may
still
petition
the
High
Court
for
an
extension,
their
current
predicament
highlights
a
broader
pattern
of
alleged
financial
misconduct
that
has
plagued
their
business
dealings.
The
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme:
A
Betrayal
of
Trust
The
details
of
the
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme
fraud
reveal
a
meticulously
planned
deception.
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
were
found
to
have
used
forged
documents
to
secure
an
US$87
million
government
contract.
The
contract
was
for
the
supply
of
over
500,000
goats
intended
for
rural
households.
To
facilitate
their
scheme,
the
pair
created
a
fictitious
company
named
Blackdeck
Livestock
and
Poultry
Farming.
They
further
bolstered
their
fraudulent
claims
by
presenting
fake
certificates
from
the
Zimbabwe
Revenue
Authority
(ZIMRA)
and
the
National
Social
Security
Authority
(NSSA)
to
mislead
government
officials.
An
advance
payment
of
ZWL$1.6
billion,
equivalent
to
approximately
US$7.7
million
at
the
time,
was
disbursed
to
Blackdeck
Livestock
and
Poultry
Farming.
However,
instead
of
delivering
the
promised
85,000
goats,
only
a
paltry
4,208
were
supplied.
The
vast
majority
of
the
funds
were
allegedly
diverted
into
other
accounts
and
subsequently
traded
on
the
black
market.
The
presiding
judge
in
the
case
underscored
the
severity
of
the
crime,
noting
that
it
was
carefully
planned
and
caused
significant
reputational
harm
to
the
Government.
Appeals
and
Further
Legal
Battles
Despite
their
conviction
and
sentencing,
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
are
not
yet
at
the
end
of
their
legal
journey.
The
Supreme
Court
is
scheduled
to
hear
their
application
for
leave
to
appeal
their
conviction
and
sentence.
This
hearing,
set
to
take
place
in
chambers,
will
occur
shortly
after
the
restitution
deadline
has
passed,
adding
another
layer
of
complexity
to
their
ongoing
legal
battles.
The
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme
is
not
the
only
instance
where
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
have
found
themselves
embroiled
in
allegations
of
corruption
and
fraud.
Their
names
have
also
been
prominently
linked
to
a
controversial
US$40
million
tender
involving
the
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission
(ZEC)
for
the
supply
of
electoral
materials
for
the
2023
general
elections.
This
scandal
also
involved
prominent
businessman
Wicknell
Chivayo.
Reports
indicate
that
Mpofu
and
Chimombe,
who
were
once
business
partners
with
Chivayo,
felt
sidelined
from
the
ZEC
deal.
They
accused
Chivayo
and
a
South
African
company,
Ren-Form,
of
inflating
costs
by
as
much
as
235%.
Leaked
audio
recordings,
which
Chivayo
later
claimed
were
fabricated
using
artificial
intelligence,
suggested
a
deep-seated
conflict
among
the
trio
regarding
the
ZEC
tender.
During
court
proceedings
related
to
the
goat
scheme
fraud,
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
reportedly
claimed
that
government
officials
received
the
bulk
of
the
money
from
Chivayo’s
US$40
million
ZEC
tender,
suggesting
a
wider
network
of
corruption.
However,
the
Zimbabwe
Anti-Corruption
Commission
(ZACC)
later
cleared
Chivayo
in
the
US$100
million
election
tender
scandal,
stating
that
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
failed
to
provide
evidence
of
a
contract
with
ZEC.
This
outcome
has
led
to
speculation
that
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
were
allegedly
sacrificed
to
protect
other
officials
involved
in
the
deal.
The
Harare
City
Council
Street
Lights
Tender:
Another
Disputed
Contract
Adding
to
their
legal
woes,
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
have
also
faced
charges
related
to
a
US$9.2
million
tender
for
the
installation
of
street
lights
in
Harare.
In
August
2024,
the
businessmen
appeared
in
court
seeking
bail
in
connection
with
allegations
that
they
used
false
documents
to
win
this
lucrative
contract.
Moses
Mpofu,
identified
as
the
managing
director
and
majority
shareholder
of
Juluka
Projects
and
Plant
Hire
(Pvt)
Ltd,
and
Mike
Chimombe,
a
company
representative,
were
accused
of
misrepresenting
their
compliance
with
procurement
regulations.
Specifically,
they
allegedly
failed
to
pay
a
special
procurement
oversight
committee
fee
of
US$400.
However,
in
a
surprising
turn
of
events,
the
State
later
withdrew
fraud
charges
against
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
in
the
US$9
million
streetlights
scandal
in
June
2025.
This
withdrawal
came
despite
earlier
reports
of
an
ugly
fallout
between
the
duo
and
other
parties
involved
in
the
tender,
including
claims
that
the
US$206,146
paid
by
the
City
of
Harare
was
for
services
already
rendered,
not
an
advance
payment,
as
alleged
by
the
State.
Chimombe,
in
his
defence,
vehemently
denied
any
affiliation
with
Juluka
Projects
and
Plant
Hire
(Pvt)
Ltd,
stating
he
was
neither
an
employee,
director,
nor
shareholder.
He
argued
that
the
payment
in
question
was
made
to
Mpofu’s
company
for
work
completed,
not
to
him
personally.
Mpofu’s
lawyer
also
contended
that
his
client,
as
a
director,
was
not
directly
involved
in
the
tender
process,
which
was
handled
by
the
company’s
procurement
department.
The
Broader
Implications:
A
Crisis
of
Accountability
The
repeated
involvement
of
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
in
high-value
government
contracts
that
subsequently
lead
to
fraud
allegations
highlights
a
systemic
issue
within
Zimbabwe’s
procurement
processes.
The
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme,
intended
to
alleviate
poverty,
instead
became
a
vehicle
for
alleged
illicit
enrichment,
depriving
vulnerable
communities
of
much-needed
support.
The
ZEC
tender
scandal,
though
charges
against
Chivayo
were
cleared,
still
casts
a
shadow
over
the
integrity
of
electoral
processes,
while
the
Harare
City
Council
street
lights
tender
raises
concerns
about
urban
development
projects.
The
failure
to
recover
the
US$3
million
restitution
in
the
goat
scheme
case,
despite
a
court
order,
underscores
the
challenges
faced
by
the
government
in
enforcing
accountability
and
recovering
stolen
public
funds.
This
situation
not
only
impacts
the
immediate
beneficiaries
of
these
schemes
but
also
erodes
public
trust
in
government
institutions
and
the
justice
system.
The
continuous
legal
battles,
withdrawals
of
charges,
and
appeals
create
a
perception
of
impunity,
where
powerful
individuals
can
navigate
the
legal
landscape
with
relative
ease,
even
when
faced
with
serious
allegations.
The
Human
Cost
of
Corruption
Beyond
the
financial
figures
and
legal
complexities,
these
cases
have
a
profound
human
cost.
The
Presidential
Goat
Pass-On
Scheme,
for
instance,
was
designed
to
provide
tangible
benefits
to
rural
households.
The
diversion
of
funds
meant
that
thousands
of
families,
including
orphans
and
the
elderly,
were
denied
the
opportunity
to
improve
their
livelihoods
through
livestock
farming.
This
directly
impacts
food
security,
nutrition,
and
the
overall
well-being
of
some
of
Zimbabwe’s
most
vulnerable
citizens.
Similarly,
the
alleged
irregularities
in
the
ZEC
tender
could
undermine
the
democratic
process
by
compromising
the
integrity
of
elections.
The
street
lights
tender,
if
indeed
marred
by
fraud,
would
mean
that
essential
public
services
in
Harare
are
either
delayed,
substandard,
or
unnecessarily
costly,
directly
affecting
the
quality
of
life
for
urban
residents.
Looking
Ahead:
The
Path
to
Justice
and
Recovery
As
Mpofu
and
Chimombe
await
the
Supreme
Court’s
decision
on
their
appeal
for
the
goat
scheme
conviction,
the
focus
remains
on
the
government’s
ability
to
recover
the
outstanding
US$3
million.
The
outcome
of
this
case,
and
others
like
it,
will
be
a
critical
test
of
Zimbabwe’s
commitment
to
combating
corruption
and
ensuring
that
justice
is
served.
The
public
will
be
watching
closely
to
see
if
the
legal
system
can
effectively
hold
powerful
individuals
accountable
and,
crucially,
recover
the
funds
that
were
allegedly
stolen
from
the
public
purse.
Source:
myzimbabwe.com
Post
published
in:
Featured
Kathryn