Zec faces probe

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) faces scrutiny from the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee following revelations of a tender scandal involving Wicknell Chivayo and his associates.

Chivayo, a convicted criminal and associate of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, reportedly engaged in a deal worth over US$40 million with South African company Ren-Form CC, which involved supplying voter registration kits and electoral materials.

Documents from Treasury, including leaked invoices, indicate that payments were made despite some materials allegedly not being delivered.

Zec, however, has denied any association with Chivayo and his partners, emphasizing its independence from the scandal. Nevertheless, the Public Accounts Committee, led by Charlton Hwende, has summoned Zec to appear before Parliament on Friday to clarify its involvement and address the allegations.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube faced questioning in the Senate over a separate US$9 million payment to a South African company for electoral materials that were also reportedly undelivered, prompting calls for further investigation into potential misuse of taxpayers' money.