Chimombe, Mpofu charges dropped

The State has withdrawn fraud charges against businessman Moses Mpofu and ZANU PF central committee member Mike Chimombe in a case involving an allegedly corrupt lighting tender awarded by the Harare City Council. The charges were dropped just as the high-profile trial was about to begin, raising questions about prosecutorial priorities and case preparedness.

Mpofu and Chimombe, both prominent figures with ties to high-level government and business circles, had been accused of misrepresenting their company's capacity to deliver on a multi-million-dollar solar streetlighting deal awarded by council officials. Prosecutors alleged the duo manipulated procurement processes to secure the tender through fraudulent means.

Despite the initial fanfare surrounding the case, the prosecution has now formally dropped the charges without giving detailed reasons for the withdrawal, though legal sources cited weak evidence and procedural concerns.

However, both men remain entangled in ongoing legal battles.

Chimombe still faces charges stemming from the controversial US$87 million Presidential Goat Scheme tender. He is accused of fraudulently securing the tender, which was intended to supply goats for a national livestock initiative under the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture. The project stalled after the alleged misappropriation of funds, with no goats delivered despite large payments made.

Mpofu, who was also implicated in the same goat tender saga, faces two outstanding cases. One is directly linked to the US$87 million contract, and the other involves allegations of irregularities in a biogas project also connected to the Harare City Council.

Both men had spent more than 11 months in remand prison facing fraud-related charges, sparking public debate about the strength of the state's cases and the consistency of anti-corruption efforts.

Meanwhile, the goat tender case — currently being heard before Justice Kwenda — appears to be losing momentum. Legal insiders suggest the matter could collapse altogether due to lack of progress, insufficient evidence, and growing concerns about prosecutorial missteps. There have been delays in bringing key witnesses to court, and no concrete evidence of delivery or value for money has yet been established.

The failure to move forward decisively on the goat case, in particular, is likely to fuel public scepticism about Zimbabwe's ability to combat high-level corruption, especially when it involves politically connected individuals.

As the legal battles unfold, questions continue to swirl about how public contracts are awarded and whether influential figures are being shielded from accountability under the guise of technicalities and weak investigations.