By A Correspondent| Local businessman Wicknell Chivayo, known for his close ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is currently in Harare but has yet to be interviewed by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
ZACC is actively seeking him in relation to a $40 million elections tender scandal that implicates high-profile government officials, including Chief Secretary to Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Isaac Moyo, and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chair Priscilla Chigumba.
Despite rumors suggesting he was abroad, Chivayo remains in Harare. He is embroiled in a contentious dispute with former business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, who accuse him of cheating them out of payments related to the deal. To refute a Daily News report claiming he, Mpofu, and Chimombe might be extradited from other countries, Chivayo posted a video from Organikks Restaurant in Borrowdale.
Contrary to previous reports, Chivayo, Chimombe, and Mpofu are all in Harare but have not yet faced Zacc. Chivayo was in South Africa prior to this, while Chimombe and Mpofu were in China. The NewsHawks confirmed through immigration that they returned last Thursday. Mpofu and Chimombe are scheduled to appear before Zacc this morning at 8:30 a.m. It remains unclear when Chivayo will present himself to Zacc or whether investigators will act against him, given his strong political connections.
Chivayo is reportedly trying to use his relationship with Mnangagwa to evade accountability. The Zanu PF youth league and information department have condemned his assertions of influence over Mnangagwa. Meanwhile, their other partner, Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya, a gold magnate, has kept a low profile and remained silent on the issue.
The scandal, involving Zec and the South African printing company Ren-Form, has caused significant turmoil within state institutions, the government, and the ruling Zanu PF. It has also provided a stark example of high-level corruption and the misuse of public funds.
-Newshawks