Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Chairperson Michael Reza says investigators have found no evidence linking businessman Wicknell Chivhayo to alleged fraudulent dealings involving the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), following months of intense public scrutiny over the 2023 election procurement contracts.
Speaking to journalists at the conclusion of a three-day capacity-building workshop on tackling illicit financial flows under the Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR), Reza said ZACC’s probe—initiated after allegations by businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu—did not uncover any documents or testimony showing a business relationship between ZEC and Chivhayo.
“We went to ZEC and asked them to give us the contracts. The answer they gave to our investigators was that they did not know these people. They had not done any business with them,” Reza said. “We persisted to an extent that ZEC went on to issue a statement in the press saying they did not know these people.”
Reza said Chivhayo also distanced himself from the alleged dealings. “He said he does not know these two guys. He knows them socially, but not in terms of business.”
Related Stories
He emphasized that ZACC sought documentary proof to substantiate the accusations, but none materialised. “A contract is the document that links two people to a business transaction. But there is no such document,” he said. “ZEC said they have no business with them, Chivhayo said there is no business with them, and we have nothing to go by as things stand.”
Public interest in the case intensified after disclosures in South Africa showed that Ren-Form CC, a Johannesburg-based printing company contracted by ZEC for the 2023 elections, received over R1.1 billion from Zimbabwe’s Treasury, with more than R800 million reportedly flowing into accounts allegedly linked to Chivhayo. Despite the financial trail raising concerns, Reza said no evidence has emerged within Zimbabwe to support claims of criminal conduct.
He stressed that the commission cannot proceed based on unsubstantiated accusations. “The guys have made allegations, but they have not supplied us with any information that would link these guys to the commission of the alleged fraud.”
Reza concluded that without verifiable evidence, the businessman cannot be treated as a suspect. “We have nothing to go by… that is where we are,” he said.
Leave Comments