Golden Sibanda

THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission says it has found no evidence linking businessman Mr Wicknell Chivayo to any fraudulent conduct regarding the 2023 Harmonised Elections material procurement by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, following months of probing the matter.

The fraud claims centred around allegations of grossly inflated prices for the electoral materials and the alleged “channelling of over R800 million” to Mr Chivayo as an agent for the South African printing company Ren-Form CC.

ZACC said it had found no evidence linking ZEC, Mr Chivayo, or the South African company to the alleged procurement fraud, nor did any contract exist between the electoral body and any of the mentioned parties.

ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza told journalists after the commission’s national anti-corruption strategy meeting in Harare yesterday that ZACC had not found any evidence linking Mr Chivayo to the claimed election material procurement fraud, as peddled by convicted fraudsters and businessmen, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu.

Chimombe and Mpofu alleged that Mr Chivayo fraudulently modified the contract, originally between Ren-Form CC and an entity linked to Harare businessman and Mabvuku legislator Mr Pedzisayi Scott Sakupwanya, to benefit his company, Intratek Zimbabwe and exclude them from the proceeds.

But Mr Reza said the document that bound parties to a business transaction was a contract, adding that the commission’s investigations had proven that no such contractual agreement existed between ZEC and the parties mentioned in the allegations widely circulated on various media platforms in and outside Zimbabwe.

Mr Reza said ZACC also sought the contract documents from ZEC to prove any alleged links between the electoral body and Mr Chivayo or the South African company to the alleged ZEC election material fraud, but had thus far established that no such documents existed.

“So we went to ZEC and asked ZEC to give us the contracts pertaining to that.

“The answer our investigators got from ZEC was that…they don’t know these people, they have not done any business with them.

“We, the investigators, went to Chivayo, and he said he does not know these two guys (businesswise); he only knows them socially, but not in terms of business,” he said.

Mr Reza added that ZEC even issued a public statement distancing itself from any link to the parties mentioned in the social media and news reports, further stating that it had not procured any material via any of the individuals or companies named in the reports.

The unsubstantiated reports alleged Ren-Form CC, a Johannesburg printing company, was contracted by ZEC for the 2023 elections and received over R1,1 billion from Zimbabwe’s Treasury, with more than R800 million allegedly going into bank accounts linked to Mr Chivayo.

Mr Reza also noted that ZEC challenged anyone who claimed the electoral commission had done business with them to produce the contractual documents to support such claims, which no one has been able to prove.

“A contract is the document that links two or more people to a business transaction, even as I am speaking, and I can tell you, there is no such document. ZEC had said there is no business with them, Chivayo said there is no business with them and we have nothing to go by as things stand.

“The guys, Chimombe and Mpofu, have made allegations, but they have not supplied us with any information, which would link Chivayo to the commission of the alleged fraud at ZEC, so that is where we are,” Mr Reza said.

Contacted for comment, Mr Chivayo said the public confirmation by the ZACC chairman that he had no business or contractual relationship with either ZEC or Chimombe and Mpofu, in connection with the supply of election materials during the 2023 Harmonised Elections, had brought immense relief to him.

“This development brings an immense sense of relief, and finally vindicates me after a long period of public speculation, which adversely tainted my standing as a businessman of unquestionable integrity and international repute.

“For nearly two years, I endured reputational damage arising from allegations, which the ZACC Chairperson has now rightly confirmed to be baseless, unsubstantiated and devoid of any factual basis.

“Regrettably, the allegations inflicted severe and irreparable consequences on my personal affairs, including substantial loss of business opportunities and adverse risk assessments by certain financial institutions such as banks.

“The damage to my name caused by this issue has been profound and deeply distressing. However, I am very pleased and anticipate that the confirmation by ZACC will finally restore confidence in my personal and business standing.

“It is equally my sincere hope that ZACC’s clarification will allow my businesses to re-engage confidently with both local and global partners without the burden of speculation,” Mr Chivayo said.

He said “these fictional rumours were the product of politically motivated individuals who, after suffering a decisive and indisputable electoral defeat in 2023 to the ruling party ZANU PF, sought to manufacture a narrative intended to cast aspersions on both the credibility of the election and the integrity of innocent parties such as myself”.

“Their actions were solely driven by malice, desperation and a desire to weaponise misinformation for political gain, but it all dismally failed.

“I extend my sincere appreciation to and applaud the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for executing its Constitutional mandate with diligence and for refusing to be swayed by the court of public opinion based on conjecture and distortions on social media,” Mr Chivayo said.

ZEC said in June last year that it had noted with concern ‘social media posts and rumours that had caused public alarm and despondency’ about the alleged 2023 election material procurement   fraud.

In a statement, then ZEC Acting Chief Elections Officer Ms Catherine Ngadini said any statements suggesting a contractual link between the commission and the alleged individuals for the supply of election materials “were inaccurate, misleading and mischievous and should therefore be dismissed with the contempt it deserves”.

“We would like to put on record that the Zimbabwe Elections Commission has no contract nor did it procure any election material from or through individuals mentioned in the reports.

“All materials procured for the 2023 Harmonised Elections were obtained in line with procurement regulations and there was due diligence as all tender processes were subjected to oversight.

“We challenge all those alleging that the commission has a contract with the three individuals to come forward and present the same.

“We also want to publicly declare that the actual amounts used for the procurement of all the election materials were far less than the figures mischievously circulated on social media.

“All election materials procured during the 2023 Harmonised Elections were delivered on time. The commission has also checked with the supplier, who categorically stated in writing that they did not have any contract with the same individuals for the supply of election materials during the 2023 Harmonised Elections.

“Furthermore, there were no third parties between the commission and all election materials suppliers,” she said.