Mnangagwa's govt shields ZEC, Chivayo in US$40 million scandal

Government officials, including the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Lovemore Matuke, have dismissed persistent corruption allegations against the executive, despite reports linking unexplained expenditures to tenders awarded to allies of the ruling party.

Allegations surfaced regarding the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) granting a tender to Wicknell Chivayo, a former convict and Zanu-PF member, through his South African company Ren Form CC. The tender, reportedly for supplying election materials for the 2023 plebiscite, involved payments exceeding US$40 million to Chivayo, Zanu-PF central committee member Mike Chimombe, and Moses Mpofu.

In another instance, ZEC allegedly procured 2,000 non-flushable toilets valued at US$7.6 million just days before the elections, but these were delivered eight months later, raising further scrutiny over the commission's procurement practices.

Minister Matuke responded to these allegations, dismissing them as unsubstantiated and lacking credible proof. He emphasized that such claims had not been publicly validated and urged further research into the matter.

Similarly, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Norbert Muzungunye labeled the allegations as baseless, suggesting that more time might be needed to investigate and provide a comprehensive response.

Despite denials from ZEC, Chivayo, Chimombe, and Mpofu regarding their involvement in these procurement scandals, opposition figures have called for thorough investigations into the matter to ensure transparency and accountability within the electoral process.