Recently, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Michael Reza proudly declared that the commission is “making progress,” boasting a 74 percent conviction rate and millions in assets recovered. Commissioner K.P. Murapa added that ZACC is “no longer a toothless bulldog.”

Yet the challenge now is proving that those teeth can bite where it truly matters. Because on the ground, justice in Zimbabwe remains a tale of two classes: the powerful who glide through the courts, and the powerless who bear the full weight of the law.

The Parade of High-Profile Arrests

Since 2017, Zimbabwe has seen a string of headline-grabbing arrests — ministers, tycoons, and politically connected elites — but few convictions.

Ignatius Chombo: The Fallen Minister Who Walked Free
Former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo was among the first to fall after the 2017 transition, arrested for corruption linked to the Uchena Land Commission Report. By August 2023 the National Prosecuting Authority dropped all charges for lack of evidence, clearing him entirely. He is now President Mnangagwa’s son-in-law’s father-in-law — an emblem of restored privilege.

Prisca Mupfumira: The $90 Million NSSA Scandal That Vanished
Arrested in 2019 for allegedly siphoning US$90 million from NSSA, Mupfumira’s case was touted as proof that “no one is above the law.” Yet in June 2024 she was acquitted; prosecutors “failed to prove a case.”

Wicknell Chivayo: A Million-Dollar Solar Mirage
Charged in 2018 over a US$5.6 million Gwanda solar project, Chivayo was acquitted a year later after the High Court called the prosecution “fatally defective.” He has since become a fixture at state events and on the President’s foreign trips — his freedom transformed into access.

Henrietta Rushwaya: Gold, Power and a Soft Landing
Caught in 2020 with 6.9 kg of gold worth US$350 000 in her handbag, Rushwaya was convicted but given a suspended 18-month sentence and a US$5 000 fine in 2023. Legal technicalities spared her jail.

Neville Mutsvangwa: The Modern Test of Power
Arrested in May 2024 for illegal forex trading and money-laundering, the well-connected Mutsvangwa spent weeks in remand before securing bail. His trial is still pending — and fading from public attention.

Walter Magaya: Fraud and Rape Allegations
The Prophetic Healing and Deliverance leader was arrested in November 2025 for rape and fraud. Initially denied bail, he was later released on US$3 000 bail by the High Court — despite state objections. It was a familiar pattern for Magaya, whose earlier HIV-cure claims ended only with a fine.

Justice Has Teeth — For the Powerless

While elites walk free, ordinary citizens supply the statistics that justify talk of progress.

Vongai Moyo of Mbare
In 2021, fruit vendor Vongai Moyo was sentenced to five years for “obstructing justice” after trying to stop municipal police from seizing her vegetables worth under US$30. She allegedly “pulled an officer’s uniform.”

Tapiwa Zinyemba, 19
In 2018, unemployed teen Tapiwa Zinyemba was jailed nine months for stealing a loaf of bread and two Mazoe bottles. That same month, Prisca Mupfumira secured bail on a US$90 million case.

Constance Tsodzo, Nurse and Whistle-blower
In 2020, Parirenyatwa nurse Constance Tsodzo was arrested after posting that “nurses are dying while ministers fly to China.” She spent six weeks in remand before charges were dropped. “I was punished for telling the truth,” she later said.

Edmore Gomba, The Taxi Driver Who Never Made It Home
Arrested in 2022 for operating without a licence and “resisting arrest,” Epworth driver Edmore Gomba died in remand after a year awaiting trial. No official has been held accountable.

Tinashe “T-Boy” Ncube of Mazowe
In 2023, artisanal miner Tinashe Ncube was sentenced to four years for possessing 11 grams of gold ore. That same week, Henrietta Rushwaya walked free with a suspended sentence for carrying 6.9 kilograms.

Privilege Dressed as Justice

Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa summed it up in 2024:

“When an ordinary person is jailed for stealing bread but a public official accused of looting pensions walks away, we can’t talk of justice — we’re talking of privilege.”

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission’s current claims of reform may signal intent, but the real test lies ahead — in whether it can turn statistics into substance. Until then, justice’s blindfold remains ripped and the scales heavily tilted toward those with connections, cash and political cover.