News / Local
SA election supply firm paid Chivayo R800 million
10 hrs ago | Views
Zimbabwe's Ministry of Finance paid more than R1.1 billion to a South African company contracted to supply materials for the country's 2023 general elections - and over R800 million of that money was swiftly transferred into bank accounts linked to controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo, according to explosive findings by South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
The financial transactions, flagged for suspicious activity, are detailed in a confidential FIC report that tracked payments made to Johannesburg-based commercial printing firm Ren-Form CC between April 5, 2023, and May 16, 2024. The FIC submitted its findings to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit, the South African Revenue Services, and the South African Police Service, calling for urgent investigation.
Ren-Form was handpicked by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to supply ballot papers, biometric voter registration (BVR) kits, indelible ink, central servers, tents, and even non-flushing toilets for the August 2023 elections. The company was awarded the contract without a public tender, raising initial concerns about transparency and fairness.
The full extent of the scandal only came to light following a dramatic fallout between Chivayo and his business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu. Their dispute over how to divide proceeds from the deal led to leaked WhatsApp messages and audio recordings, in which Chivayo allegedly discussed paying off senior government officials. Chivayo has denied being the voice in the recordings and issued public apologies to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, former intelligence chief Isaac Moyo, Cabinet Secretary Martin Rushwaya, and ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba, acknowledging the recordings may have created an "adverse impression" of their involvement in corruption.
The FIC analysis uncovered massive price inflation. Items supplied by Ren-Form were billed far above market rates, with the inflated charges seemingly designed to generate illicit "commissions" for Chivayo and his associates. One central server was invoiced at R23 million, despite retailing online for just R90,000. Non-flushing toilets were priced at R68,700 each - more than six times their retail value. The BVR kits, initially quoted at US$5,000 apiece, were ultimately billed at nearly US$16,000 per unit. For comparison, the United Nations Development Programme sourced similar BVR kits for US$3,600 each during the 2021 elections in Honduras.
In total, Zimbabwe's Treasury paid Ren-Form R1,167,364,300.51 - equivalent to approximately US$61.1 million - via Standard Bank accounts in South Africa. The FIC report shows that more than R800 million of that sum was immediately transferred to Chivayo-controlled companies, including Intratrek Holdings and Dolintel Trading Enterprise. Additionally, R156 million was paid directly to Edenbreeze, another Chivayo company, purportedly for architectural and technical services.
Once the funds hit Chivayo's companies, they were rapidly redistributed to numerous business and personal accounts, raising red flags over the size and frequency of the transactions. The report describes a flurry of "round figure" payments, large-scale "luxury purchases," and transaction patterns inconsistent with Chivayo's business profile. In one instance, over R36 million was moved from a personal account toward car purchases. Several companies received substantial transfers, including R351 million paid to a firm linked to an individual named Emmanuel Musanyenda. Other recipients included law firms, travel agencies, car dealerships, trucking companies, and a Zimbabwean make-up brand.
Despite the gravity of the revelations, Zimbabwe's Anti-Corruption Commission, which initially expressed interest in probing the contracts, appears to have gone silent. Meanwhile, Chimombe and Mpofu were arrested on unrelated corruption charges and denied bail, prompting speculation that they were being punished for leaking information about the election contract.
Chivayo, a flamboyant figure known for his displays of wealth and close proximity to President Mnangagwa, has dismissed the allegations and insisted he did nothing illegal. Ren-Form has similarly denied engaging in any corrupt dealings, asserting that their pricing reflected the cost of doing business in a politically sensitive environment.
Still, the facts laid bare in the FIC report have raised serious concerns about the misuse of public funds and the integrity of Zimbabwe's electoral processes. With more than two-thirds of the payment from Zimbabwe's Treasury disappearing into opaque networks and luxury purchases, public pressure is mounting for accountability and transparency in what is shaping up to be one of the most high-profile corruption scandals in recent memory.
ZimLive has reached out to Ren-Form CC and Zimbabwe's Treasury for comment, but no responses had been received at the time of publishing.
The financial transactions, flagged for suspicious activity, are detailed in a confidential FIC report that tracked payments made to Johannesburg-based commercial printing firm Ren-Form CC between April 5, 2023, and May 16, 2024. The FIC submitted its findings to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit, the South African Revenue Services, and the South African Police Service, calling for urgent investigation.
Ren-Form was handpicked by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to supply ballot papers, biometric voter registration (BVR) kits, indelible ink, central servers, tents, and even non-flushing toilets for the August 2023 elections. The company was awarded the contract without a public tender, raising initial concerns about transparency and fairness.
The full extent of the scandal only came to light following a dramatic fallout between Chivayo and his business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu. Their dispute over how to divide proceeds from the deal led to leaked WhatsApp messages and audio recordings, in which Chivayo allegedly discussed paying off senior government officials. Chivayo has denied being the voice in the recordings and issued public apologies to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, former intelligence chief Isaac Moyo, Cabinet Secretary Martin Rushwaya, and ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba, acknowledging the recordings may have created an "adverse impression" of their involvement in corruption.
The FIC analysis uncovered massive price inflation. Items supplied by Ren-Form were billed far above market rates, with the inflated charges seemingly designed to generate illicit "commissions" for Chivayo and his associates. One central server was invoiced at R23 million, despite retailing online for just R90,000. Non-flushing toilets were priced at R68,700 each - more than six times their retail value. The BVR kits, initially quoted at US$5,000 apiece, were ultimately billed at nearly US$16,000 per unit. For comparison, the United Nations Development Programme sourced similar BVR kits for US$3,600 each during the 2021 elections in Honduras.
Once the funds hit Chivayo's companies, they were rapidly redistributed to numerous business and personal accounts, raising red flags over the size and frequency of the transactions. The report describes a flurry of "round figure" payments, large-scale "luxury purchases," and transaction patterns inconsistent with Chivayo's business profile. In one instance, over R36 million was moved from a personal account toward car purchases. Several companies received substantial transfers, including R351 million paid to a firm linked to an individual named Emmanuel Musanyenda. Other recipients included law firms, travel agencies, car dealerships, trucking companies, and a Zimbabwean make-up brand.
Despite the gravity of the revelations, Zimbabwe's Anti-Corruption Commission, which initially expressed interest in probing the contracts, appears to have gone silent. Meanwhile, Chimombe and Mpofu were arrested on unrelated corruption charges and denied bail, prompting speculation that they were being punished for leaking information about the election contract.
Chivayo, a flamboyant figure known for his displays of wealth and close proximity to President Mnangagwa, has dismissed the allegations and insisted he did nothing illegal. Ren-Form has similarly denied engaging in any corrupt dealings, asserting that their pricing reflected the cost of doing business in a politically sensitive environment.
Still, the facts laid bare in the FIC report have raised serious concerns about the misuse of public funds and the integrity of Zimbabwe's electoral processes. With more than two-thirds of the payment from Zimbabwe's Treasury disappearing into opaque networks and luxury purchases, public pressure is mounting for accountability and transparency in what is shaping up to be one of the most high-profile corruption scandals in recent memory.
ZimLive has reached out to Ren-Form CC and Zimbabwe's Treasury for comment, but no responses had been received at the time of publishing.
Source - zimlive
