News / National
ZACC, PACU Face Accusations of Complicity Over Chisango State-Witness Deal
04 Feb 2025 at 21:52hrs | Views
Allegations of a high-level conspiracy are swirling around the corruption case of Harare Town Clerk Hosea Chisango who has been secretly let off the hook in the Juluka case by members of the Zimbabwe's anti-corruption agencies working with a High Court Judge and Prosecutor.
Allegations have surfaced that lawyer Gayton Vhiriri has been acting as a go-between, facilitating clandestine transactions and money exchanges between the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Police Anti-Corruption Unit (PACU), and key individuals including Prosecutor Witness Mabhaudhi and judge Pisirayi Kwenda.
It's not the first time Vhiriri and Chisango have been linked together in an unholy alliance. In 2022, their alleged affair made headlines after photos surfaced of the pair together. Chisango had claimed to be on official council business in Bulawayo, but Town House sources revealed he was with Vhiriri at a private getaway. Insiders have now come forward with claims that Vhiriri also has secret meetings with Judge Kwenda in his chambers, sparking rumors of another romantic involvement. Rumours of the suspected and unconfirmed love triangle are already sending shockwaves and were described as "a ticking time bomb" by a source close to the trio who requested not to be named.
Juluka owned by incarcerated businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, was corruptly awarded a street light tender worth over 9 Million United States Dollars by Chisango and hisaccomplices. However Chisango's freedom has been secured by controversially transitioning him into a state witness, effectively letting him evade accountability.
Chisango, who was once described as a "procurement monster", had absolute control of the tender process as he wielded unparalleled power to dictate procurement decisions for the entire Council. The local Government laws allowed him to consolidate his grip on procurement hence his fingerprints are all over this shady deal.
It is yet to be seen how ZACC will defend the gaping hole in transparency that has been exposed, with award letters conveniently missing for the 2 Juluka lots, while the other 8 lots received theirs. Juluka's work began without clear authorization, and Central Government payments were made under Chisango's direction. Principal Buyer Jabulani Mukomazi's involvement was minimal as compared to that if his principal - Chisango.
A damning indictment of the procurement process has emerged, with PRAZ blowing the whistle on the dubious Juluka award. In a scathing letter to the City of Harare, PRAZ exposed the glaring flaws in the process. Furthermore, PRAZ has made it crystal clear that they only recognize the Town Clerk as the legitimate authority, casting a long shadow of uncertainty on how the Prosecution will then to pin the case on a junior officer.
Meanwhile the legal witness, Alice Zeure, has distanced herself from the flawed legal process surrounding the awarding of the contract to Juluka. In a startling revelation, Zeure confirmed that no legal counsel was consulted when Juluka was awarded the contract, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the process.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has taken a strong stance against corruption, emphasizing its threat to Zimbabwe's national security and development. This comes at a critical time when allegations have surfaced about a close relationship between Judge Kwenda and Prosecutor Mabhaudhi, particularly in cases involving Chisango, who has been acquitted multiple times under their oversight.
This case is set to erode confidence in the handling of the case by ZACC , PACU and the Prosecutor, with stakeholders calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engagement of Chisango as a state witnesses.
The situation is further complicated by allegations of a cozy relationship ZACC and PACU officials, which raises concerns about impartiality and the fairness of the judicial process but also explains repeated acquittals of Chisango, despite overwhelming evidence on cases that are deliberately set before Kwenda.
This case is set to erode confidence in the handling of the case by ZACC in particular, with stakeholders calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engagement of Chisango as a state witness.
Allegations have surfaced that lawyer Gayton Vhiriri has been acting as a go-between, facilitating clandestine transactions and money exchanges between the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Police Anti-Corruption Unit (PACU), and key individuals including Prosecutor Witness Mabhaudhi and judge Pisirayi Kwenda.
It's not the first time Vhiriri and Chisango have been linked together in an unholy alliance. In 2022, their alleged affair made headlines after photos surfaced of the pair together. Chisango had claimed to be on official council business in Bulawayo, but Town House sources revealed he was with Vhiriri at a private getaway. Insiders have now come forward with claims that Vhiriri also has secret meetings with Judge Kwenda in his chambers, sparking rumors of another romantic involvement. Rumours of the suspected and unconfirmed love triangle are already sending shockwaves and were described as "a ticking time bomb" by a source close to the trio who requested not to be named.
Juluka owned by incarcerated businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, was corruptly awarded a street light tender worth over 9 Million United States Dollars by Chisango and hisaccomplices. However Chisango's freedom has been secured by controversially transitioning him into a state witness, effectively letting him evade accountability.
Chisango, who was once described as a "procurement monster", had absolute control of the tender process as he wielded unparalleled power to dictate procurement decisions for the entire Council. The local Government laws allowed him to consolidate his grip on procurement hence his fingerprints are all over this shady deal.
It is yet to be seen how ZACC will defend the gaping hole in transparency that has been exposed, with award letters conveniently missing for the 2 Juluka lots, while the other 8 lots received theirs. Juluka's work began without clear authorization, and Central Government payments were made under Chisango's direction. Principal Buyer Jabulani Mukomazi's involvement was minimal as compared to that if his principal - Chisango.
Meanwhile the legal witness, Alice Zeure, has distanced herself from the flawed legal process surrounding the awarding of the contract to Juluka. In a startling revelation, Zeure confirmed that no legal counsel was consulted when Juluka was awarded the contract, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the process.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has taken a strong stance against corruption, emphasizing its threat to Zimbabwe's national security and development. This comes at a critical time when allegations have surfaced about a close relationship between Judge Kwenda and Prosecutor Mabhaudhi, particularly in cases involving Chisango, who has been acquitted multiple times under their oversight.
This case is set to erode confidence in the handling of the case by ZACC , PACU and the Prosecutor, with stakeholders calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engagement of Chisango as a state witnesses.
The situation is further complicated by allegations of a cozy relationship ZACC and PACU officials, which raises concerns about impartiality and the fairness of the judicial process but also explains repeated acquittals of Chisango, despite overwhelming evidence on cases that are deliberately set before Kwenda.
This case is set to erode confidence in the handling of the case by ZACC in particular, with stakeholders calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engagement of Chisango as a state witness.
Source - Byo24News
