Witness nails Chimombe, Mpofu to US$7m goats case

A senior government official has testified in the ongoing US$7 million fraud case involving controversial businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, offering damning evidence that links the two to the tender document at the heart of the scandal.

The case revolves around the Presidential Goats Pass-On Scheme, a government project aimed at supplying over 600,000 goats countrywide through a US$87.7 million contract awarded to Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming.

Taking the witness stand on Wednesday, former Director for Livestock Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr Alban Mhindurwa, narrated a timeline of events and interactions that allegedly place both Chimombe and Mpofu at the centre of the procurement and implementation of the scheme.

Mr Mhindurwa told the court that his role was limited to drafting the initial concept note for the scheme. He said Mpofu later approached him seeking information about the tender process. After being referred to the procurement management unit, Mpofu reportedly informed Mhindurwa via WhatsApp that his company had won the tender.

In February 2022, Mpofu again contacted Mhindurwa, saying they were mobilising goats. The following month, Mpofu and Chimombe visited Mhindurwa's office, where they were told that distribution could only begin after the scheme was officially launched by the President. Mhindurwa provided goat mobilisation guidelines, which included maintaining a breeding ratio of one buck to every 20 does.

Blackdeck project coordinator Mr Gift Matiza later reported to the ministry that 31,000 does and 1,500 bucks had been collected. However, ministry verification teams discovered only 3,713 goats at the holding sites—raising red flags about the project's implementation.

Following the national launch of the scheme, a second verification exercise failed to clarify the discrepancy. Mpofu allegedly claimed that the goats were scattered across various agents. A subsequent meeting involving Mhindurwa, Mpofu, Chimombe, and other officials failed to yield answers. According to the witness, Mpofu requested a meeting with the permanent secretary and never returned.

In September 2022, Blackdeck wrote to the ministry citing operational challenges. Provincial reports later confirmed that goat deliveries had been suspended. Mhindurwa followed up with Mpofu, who confirmed the suspension. A December 2022 report showed that only 4,208 goats had been delivered, at a cost of US$331,445.

Despite the shortfall, the ministry urged Blackdeck to resume deliveries without legal consequences. However, by January 2023, Mhindurwa had been transferred to a different department.

Under cross-examination, Mpofu's lawyer, Mr John Koto, pressed Mhindurwa on his exact involvement in the tender process. Mhindurwa insisted that he had no role in tender adjudication or payment matters, stating that he only received goats and reported on the company's performance.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku, representing Chimombe, challenged Mhindurwa's testimony regarding Chimombe's presence at meetings. When confronted with court records indicating only one documented meeting, Mhindurwa conceded he could not confirm Chimombe's attendance at others or his role in drafting the meeting's minutes.

The prosecution is seeking to prove that Chimombe and Mpofu were directly involved in securing the tender through fraudulent means, including allegations that the documents submitted by Blackdeck featured forged ZIMRA tax clearance and NSSA compliance certificates.

The tender was for the supply of 632,001 goats under the ambitious national livestock scheme, a key element of the government's rural empowerment agenda.

The trial continues.