Online Reporter

Business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe have been sentenced to a combined 27 years in prison for fraud related to the Presidential Goat Scheme.

The first accused, Mpofu, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with three years suspended on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence involving dishonesty in the next five years.

On the remaining 19 years, four years were suspended on condition of restitution.

This leaves him with an effective jail term of 15 years.

The second accused (Chimombe), has been sentenced to 17 years. However, three years were suspended for five years on condition that he doesn’t commit any offence involving dishonesty.
On the remaining 14 years, two years were suspended on condition that he pays restitution of US$964 000.

This leaves him with an effective sentence of 12 years.

High Court Judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda convicted the two businessmen on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, for their involvement in a corruption scandal that undermined the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme — a project designed to uplift rural communities by providing livestock to boost food security and livelihoods.

This resulted in a loss of US$7.38 million for the Government.

Following the awarding of the tender, Government paid ZWL1,6 billion in two instalments in 2022, equivalent to US$7, 712,197 at the time.

However, by the end of 2022, only 4 208 goats, valued at US$331,445, had been delivered.

The contractor subsequently suspended operations, leaving a shortfall of 103 382 goats and an outstanding loss of US$7.38 million.

The State proved that Mpofu and Chimombe, operating through their company Blackdeck Pvt Ltd, used dishonest means in tendering for the contract to supply the goats.

The court ruled that the two submitted forged Zimra and Nssa certificates to win the contract and siphon public funds.

In delivering his ruling, Justice Kwenda said the presumptive starting point for sentencing in such cases is 20 years imprisonment, noting that the fraud was committed under aggravating circumstances.

He emphasised that the offence involved a significant amount of money and the misuse of public funds, warranting a harsher penalty.