Chimombe backs Mnangagwa

Zanu-PF central committee member Mike Chimombe is serving a 12-year prison sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison following his conviction in a high-profile US$87 million Presidential Goat Scheme tender fraud case. His co-accused, friend and business partner Moses Mpofu, is also incarcerated at the same facility.

During an open family week at Chikurubi, Chimombe sat down with NewsDay Digital Editor Blessed Mhlanga for a rare interview, reflecting on his conviction, prison life, politics and his hopes for freedom as he prepares to appeal his sentence. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Asked whether his conviction felt like the end of his life, Chimombe said he had expected an acquittal and remained confident in his innocence.

"Honestly, I thought my lawyers had done enough to secure an acquittal for me and even my friend. We were confident the courts would see that our hands were clean and that Blackdeck Private Limited was committed to fulfilling all the conditions of the contract," he said.

Chimombe maintained that he would never steal public funds, citing his loyalty to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the government's Vision 2030 agenda.

"I respect President Mnangagwa and would never steal money meant to ensure his vision of an upper-middle-income economy is achieved," he said. "That is why I have instructed my lawyers to approach the Supreme Court. I strongly believe a different court will arrive at a different ruling. My life is just starting, not ending."

On suggestions that his case is political rather than criminal, Chimombe said he would not comment directly on the matter but expressed faith in the judicial process.

"My lawyers have cautioned me against speaking about the merits of the appeal," he said. "I am convinced that the judiciary will exercise its mind fairly. Justice may be slow, but I believe it will be delivered."

Reflecting on his nearly two years in custody and the perception that he was abandoned by his political colleagues, Chimombe said prison had given him time for reflection rather than resentment.

"I remain Zanu-PF to the core," he said. "There has been soul searching, recalibration and contrition. On a balance of scales, let bygones be bygones. I have a future ahead of me - a family waiting, party business stalled and a constituency orphaned for two years."

He added that even prison had become a space for political and social engagement.

"Prison itself is a constituency," he said. "As I wait for my appeal, we have started pushing the agenda of nation-building and the President's vision."

Chimombe dismissed claims that his arrest was linked to a fallout with businessman Wicknell Chivayo, saying the case had nothing to do with him.

"There are no permanent enemies in politics," he said. "We are united in purpose for Vision 2030 going forward."

On developments within Zanu-PF, including resolutions adopted at the party's 22nd national conference in Mutare, Chimombe said he remained bound by collective party decisions.

"I am a bona fide member of the central committee and a graduate of the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology," he said. "I followed the conference virtually and spiritually and endorse its resolutions."

Turning to life at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, Chimombe acknowledged challenges such as overcrowding but praised efforts by prison authorities to focus on rehabilitation.

"This is not a hotel," he said, "but there is an effort to ensure prisoners do not see themselves as condemned persons."

On food and health, he dismissed public speculation about preferential treatment.

"We get three meals a day - bread, porridge with peanut butter. There is a wrong perception about prison life; if you have never been here, you will never fully understand it."

Chimombe said the loss of freedom had been the hardest part of imprisonment but added that he had tried to make the most of the situation.

"We have made friends and tried to help the less fortunate," he said. "We have even started a tree nursery project to help fight deforestation. We must never stop planning because we have suffered setbacks."

Asked whether he would repay the money he was ordered by the court to return to the State, Chimombe said the matter was now before the courts.

"We have noted an appeal of that judgment," he said.

As he awaits the outcome of his Supreme Court appeal, Chimombe remains adamant that his story is far from over, insisting that prison marks a pause - not the end - of his political life.