Zimbabwe’s Chimombe and Mpofu Receive 27-Year Sentences in Landmark Goat Scheme Fraud Case
Topic: Goat Scheme Fraud | Verdict: Guilty | Status: Heading to Supreme Court
In a courtroom charged with the weight of justice, Zimbabwe’s largest post-independence fraud case reached a dramatic climax yesterday. High Court Justice Pisirayi Kwenda delivered a scathing verdict, sentencing businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe to a combined 27 years in prison.
However, the saga is far from over. The State insists the sentence is "not harsh enough" given the gravity of the US$7 million heist, while the defense lawyers are preparing to escalate the battle to the Supreme Court.
The Cost of Fraud: 27 Years Combined
Justice Kwenda’s sentence comes with strict conditions for restitution. If they don't pay back the government, they stay in jail longer.
MOSES MPOFU (50)
Primary Sentence: 22 Years
Restitution: US$2,060,250.60
(Effective if Paid)
Breakdown: 3 years suspended for good behavior. 4 years suspended on condition of repayment by Feb 28, 2026.
MIKE CHIMOMBE (44)
Primary Sentence: 17 Years
Restitution: US$964,064.64
(Effective if Paid)
Breakdown: 3 years suspended for good behavior. 2 years suspended on condition of repayment by Feb 28, 2026.
*Both men have already served 18 months in pre-trial detention, credited to their sentences.*
The $7M "Theft of Hope"
The court heard how the duo submitted a fraudulent tender under Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming—a non-existent entity. Using forged ZIMRA and NSSA certificates, they misled officials into awarding a lucrative government contract meant to supply over 500,000 goats to impoverished rural communities.
Upon receiving ZWL $1.6 billion (approx. US$7.7M), they funneled funds through various accounts and traded on the black market.
- Required Delivery (for Advance): 85,000 Goats
- Actual Delivery: 4,208 Goats
- Result: A massive failure that devastated the intended beneficiaries—orphans, the elderly, and the disabled.
Legal Warfare: What Comes Next
Neither side is happy. The State wants more; the Defense wants acquittal.
Whisper Mabhaudi (State Prosecutor): Argued that the punishment fails to reflect the gravity of the crime or deter future fraudsters. The prosecution initially proposed 25 years effective, stating, "This offence has shocked the conscience of the nation... what will it take for someone to go to jail for stealing public funds?"
Defense teams (Advocates Tapson Dzvetero & John Koto for Mpofu; Prof. Lovemore Madhuku & Asheal Mugiya for Chimombe) indicated they will challenge both the conviction and sentence.
They argued that government officials should have detected the fraud earlier—an argument Judge Kwenda rejected, noting the accused manipulated the system to escape scrutiny.
Justice Kwenda's Scathing Remarks
"The Government of Zimbabwe trusted you to act with integrity and probity, but you betrayed that trust for personal enrichment."
The judge highlighted that mitigating factors—such as being first-time offenders—were vastly outweighed by the premeditated, complex, and meticulously executed nature of the crime. This was not just theft of funds; it was a "theft of hope" for society's poorest.
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