By Political Reporter- Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo bribed a dozen government officials to secure a US$9 million fraudulent tender for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) printing accessories.
In leaked voice notes, Chivhayo sent his business associates to the fraudster and paid bribes to the ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba, CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Martin Rushwaya to facilitate the corrupt contracts or expedite payments.
However, all implicated officials have denied these allegations.
Leaked legal documents indicate that Ren-Form CC was used as a vehicle by Chivhayo and his associates—Mike Chimombe, Moses Mpofu, and Scott Sakupwanya—to siphon millions of dollars from the Treasury through inflated invoices.
In a separate scandal, ZEC is embroiled in another controversy involving US$7.6 million for inflating the prices of 2,000 non-flushable toilets ordered on the eve of the August 2023 elections.
ZEC invoiced US$3,800 per unit, while the retail price in South Africa was only US$300. The order, delayed and delivered only in April 2024, came eight months after the election.
Reports suggest that Ren-Form CC received over US$100 million in total, more than double the previously thought amount of US$40 million in several contracts, all awarded without a public tender in violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
Ren-Form allegedly transferred millions of US dollars in “commissions” to accounts linked to Chivhayo and his associates.
This money was used to purchase luxury cars and fund lavish lifestyles.
By August 17, 2023, ZEC had secured most of the election materials.
However, on that day, it placed a new order for 125,000 reflective vests and 2,000 non-flushable portable toilets to be used during the election.
At US$13.50 each, the total bill for the vests came to US$1,687,500, and the toilets cost US$7.6 million, according to invoice number 1557-2 sent to ZEC by Ren-Form CC.
Justice Chigumba was listed as the contact person on the invoice.
The invoice also included an outstanding amount for “security paper” at US$44,511.79 and US$623,000 in “extra charges for air charter to deliver V11 Light Boxes due to late payment and to meet deadline,” bringing the total to US$9,955,011.79. According to ZimLive, none of these items were delivered when Zimbabweans went to the polls on August 23, 2023. ZEC did not cancel the order even after the elections. Treasury settled the full invoice on September 7, 2023, instructing its bankers CBZ to pay Ren-Form CC’s Standard Bank account the full amount.
On June 21, 2024, ZEC issued a statement denying any engagement with Chivhayo, Mpofu, and Chimombe for election material procurement, stating that all its procurements were above board and subjected to due diligence. ZEC challenged those alleging contracts with the three individuals to present evidence, insisting that the actual amounts used for the procurement were far less than those circulated on social media and that all materials were delivered on time. The supplier also categorically denied having any contract with the said individuals.