YESTERDAY, we carried a report that one of Mike Chimombe’s wives has put several properties up for sale in Harare. The sale of these assets is occurring against the backdrop of Chimombe’s conviction for fraud and ongoing legal and financial pressures tied to one of the country’s most scrutinised corruption scandals in recent years. Chimombe was convicted along with his associate Moses Mpofu for defrauding the government in a US$7.7 million goats supply tender intended to benefit vulnerable Zimbabweans under a national livestock pass-on programme.
The High Court found them guilty of orchestrating a scheme that misrepresented credentials and failed to deliver the contracted livestock, causing significant loss to the State. Both men received lengthy prison sentences—Chimombe was handed 17 years, with some suspension contingent on restitution and good behaviour, while Mpofu received a longer term—reflecting the gravity of their actions. In this context, the decision by Chimombe’s wife to list five properties, including a commercial stand spanning 1.5 hectares in Madokero, Harare, for sale raises questions about financial strategy and legal exposure.
Some will view this as a pragmatic move to raise funds to meet a court-ordered restitution payment of US$964,000, due next month. Property sales linked to high-profile figures accused of corruption often stir controversy. There is a real risk some will view this asset liquidation as an attempt to shield wealth, maintain family wealth, or divert resources before full financial accountability is enforced.
[paywall]
Legally, the situation remains fluid. Although the State initially sought to seize Chimombe’s assets under the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, this application was withdrawn in late last year. This gave the family a reprieve from immediate forfeiture.
There is a section of people who will think the proposed sale of the properties pre-empts future legal action. They will say this is meant to ensure that the family will not lose any of their fixed assets to the State in the event it goes for the route of forfeiting them. The sale of Chimombe’s family properties is more than a private transaction.
It is a touchpoint for Zimbabwean debates about corruption and accountability. There is a section, which feels that these properties were acquired by the very money which Chimombe received through the very deals which have sent him to prison. This group of individuals strongly feels that these properties, which they argue were bought through funds which were dirty, should not be used as a vehicle to fund a process where Chimombe’s time in jail will be reduced. The reality is that if Chimombe pays the restitution, he will have two years, from his original jail term, being suspended.
[/paywall]
