A Kwekwe resident has written to parliament requesting the legislature to use its oversight mechanisms to investigate allegations of money laundering activities against tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s close ally – over the corrupt US$100 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender scandal.
In a petition to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, Emmanuel Nkosilathi Moyo says the legislature should probe Chivayo’s company activities using its oversight role over the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, investigating money laundering issues.
He cites sections 119, 298 and 299, as well as the Standing Orders of Parliament, House of Parliament Standing Order 159 (2), and Senate Standing Order 149 (2) as the key provisions which MPs should use to probe Chivayo and his companies for money laundering.
Moyo refers to the recent South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (SAFIC) report which made damning findings against Chivayo.
SAFIC says criminal activity and money layering (laundering) cannot be ruled out in the deal.
Its report says Chivayo was paid R800 million (over U$40 million) out of R1.2 billion (US$66 million) – which is 67% – in taxpayers’ funds partly paid by the Zimbabwean government Treasury to Reform CC, a South African printing company which supplied voting materials for Zimbabwe’s general elections in August 2023.
A Renform agent who was part of a team which negotiated the deal and engineered payments, Chivayo got paid in South Africa amid charges of corruption and money laundering activities.
Chivayo used various personal and company bank accounts to move money to different people and entities through a series of quick transfers and cash withdrawals.
The money went through big South African banks: FNB, Standard Bank and Absa.
Some of it was used to buy designer clothes, fancy cars, electronic gadgets, real estate, and funding trips around the world.
The scandal has sucked in the Office of the President and Cabinet, chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, President’s daughter Chido, ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, former Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Isaac Moyo and gold baron Pedzisayi Scott Sakupwanya.
Some of these were paid bribes and kickbacks, according to an audio capturing Chivayo breaking payments to those involved.
Jailed Chivayo former business partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu were also involved.
Moyo says parliament must verify the payments and do some due diligence to ensure transparency and accountability of the use of public funds involved.
The US$100 million was funded through taxpayers’ money.
Chivayo, Ren-Form and ZEC have all denied wrongdoing despite overwhelming evidence of corruption and criminality.
Newshawks
