ZIMBABWE ELECTION SCANDAL: SECRET DEALS, BIG PAYOUTS, AND HIGH-LEVEL CORRUPTION
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is in deep trouble over a secret election deal that shows corruption at its core. New information has come to light, showing that some of ZEC’s top officials were involved in secret meetings and financial deals, which go against what they have told the public. These details were first reported by The NewsHawks and prove that the story being shared by the government-controlled newspaper, the Sunday Mail, is far from the truth.
The problem began when ZEC Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, along with some well-known names like Wicknell Chivayo and Moses Mpofu, visited a company called Ren-Form. This company was secretly given the job of handling election materials on February 2, 2023. This visit was the start of a hidden agreement that took place without the public knowing. Some meetings even happened at Chigumba’s home in Greendale, Harare, away from the public eye.
After these secret meetings, Ren-Form made a deal with another company, Better Brands Security (Pvt) Ltd, which is owned by a man named Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya. This deal was signed on February 13, long before ZEC even started its official tender process, showing that the official process was just a cover-up. The dates in the documents show that by the time ZEC sent a team to South Africa from April 16 to June 27, the deal had already been signed, and money was already being exchanged. The first payment was made before the Easter holidays on March 31, even before the ZEC team started their talks in April.
In an audio recording, Chivayo talks about receiving US$1 million, the first of many payments meant to be split among those involved in the deal. The money was divided like this: Sakupwanya got US$350,000, Chivayo, Mpofu, and Mike Chimombe each received US$150,000, and Chigumba (referred to as “Moms vaya”) and the Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organisation, Isaac Moyo (called “DG”), got US$100,000 each. This payout was timed to make sure everyone involved had a good Easter holiday, with the promise of even more money later.
But it is not just these people who were involved. High-level government officials, like the Chief Secretary to the Cabinet Martin Rushwaya and the head of the Central Intelligence Organisation, Isaac Moyo, are also part of this scandal. Both of these men are close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and played important roles in making sure the deal happened and the money was paid out. This shows that the corruption goes all the way to the top of the government.
This scandal is more than just a black mark on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. It has uncovered a network of corruption that involves huge amounts of money and some of the closest people to President Mnangagwa. The situation raises big concerns about how fair and honest the election process in Zimbabwe really is. It makes people question whether the system that is supposed to protect democracy in the country is working at all. As more information comes out, this scandal is a clear sign of the tough road ahead if Zimbabwe is to achieve true transparency and honesty in its political and election systems.
The Zimbabwean people deserve a system that works for them, not one that benefits a few rich and powerful individuals. This scandal shows that there is still a long way to go before the country can have free and fair elections. If corruption is not addressed, it will continue to eat away at the country’s institutions, making it harder to trust the process that decides who leads Zimbabwe. The truth is, for democracy to survive, those in charge of running elections must be held to the highest standard of integrity. But as long as deals like this happen in secret, the people will always wonder if their votes truly count.
