Chimombe and Mpofu face new corruption charges involving US$9.2m

HARARE – Controversial businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who are in custody over a US$7 million fraud, have been slapped with another charge involving a US$9.2 million streetlights corruption scandal.

The two prominent Zanu-PF members are already in remand prison after being denied bail by the Magistrates Court.

They are now facing another charge connected with allegations of corruptly using false documents through their company, Juluka Enndo Joint Venture.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Wednesday released a memo alleging that Mpofu and Chimombe submitted false documents while applying for a Harare City Council tender to rehabilitate street lights.

“Allegations are that sometime in May 2024, Harare City Council re-advertised a tender for two lots to fix street lights.

“Responding to the advert, Mpofu and Chimombe acting for Juluka Enndo Joint Venture misrepresented that they were compliant with the provisions of Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets General Regulations by resubmitting a receipt which they had used in an earlier bid in which their company had been disqualified.

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“The accused also allegedly submitted a financial report claiming it was audited by a consultancy company, which investigations have revealed is not registered,” read the ZACC memo seen by this publication.

ZACC said they further allegedly misrepresented that they had undertaken similar work for the City of Harare and were experienced in installing street lights.

“Juluka Enddo Joint Venture was awarded a tender on the basis of falsified information,” ZACC said.

ZACC last week arrested City of Harare Town Clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango, on charges of criminal abuse of duty in connection with the tender in question.

The arrest comes after allegations that Eng. Chisango colluded with four other officials, Never Murerwa, Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu, and Tawanda Mutenhabundo, already in custody, to award the US$9,2 million street lights tender to Juluka Enndo Joint Venture.

Mpofu and Chimombe’s arrest came at a time when their erstwhile business partner Wicknell Chivayo was accused of benefiting more than US$100 million from a corrupt Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) deal to supply election materials for the 2023 harmonised general elections.

Government critics believe that the apprehension of the two Zanu-PF members was meant to hoodwink people from focusing on the multimillion dollar corruption scandal, which implicated ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba, Chief Secretary in the President’s Office and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya and the President himself.

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