Businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe were on Friday handed lengthy prison sentences after the High Court convicted them of defrauding the Government of Zimbabwe of more than US$7 million in the controversial and ultimately failed goat-rearing project. The sentencing, delivered by Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, marks one of the most high-profile corruption rulings in recent years, underscoring the judiciary’s emphasis on accountability in the handling of public funds.
Mpofu, who the court found to have played a leading role in orchestrating the scheme, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Of this, three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while an additional four years were suspended on the condition that he restitutes the State. This leaves him with an effective 15-year jail term. Chimombe, who was convicted alongside him, received 17 years in prison, with three years suspended for good behaviour and two years suspended on condition of restitution, giving him an effective sentence of 12 years.
The two businessmen were convicted last month after a prolonged and closely watched trial. Throughout the proceedings, both Mpofu and Chimombe insisted that they were innocent, denying accusations that they knowingly misled government officials or misused public funds. However, Justice Kwenda dismissed their defence arguments, ruling that the evidence presented in court clearly demonstrated that they acted jointly in defrauding the State.
Tribal Judgment Sees Mpofu Jailed for 22 Years, Chimombe for 17
In delivering his judgment, Justice Kwenda criticised the pair for failing to provide any credible documentation or explanation showing how the substantial funds they received for the goat project were spent. The judge emphasised that no invoices, receipts, progress reports, or legitimate business records were produced to substantiate their claims. Instead, the court found that the men acted in their own personal interest while disguising their intentions behind a fictitious company created to access public funds.
“The inference we draw is that he was intending to advance his personal interests,” the judge said in reference to Chimombe. He concluded that both men were not only dishonest but also fully aware of the fraudulent nature of their actions, making them criminally liable.
According to evidence presented in court, Treasury had disbursed ZW$1.6 billion—equivalent to approximately US$7.7 million at the time—towards the goat scheme. This represented a portion of what could have become a much larger financial loss, with the government facing a potential exposure of up to US$26 million had the scheme continued unchecked. Not a single dollar of the disbursed funds has been recovered, and neither Mpofu nor Chimombe made any voluntary effort to reimburse the government before sentencing.
Justice Kwenda stressed that the fraud was committed under aggravating circumstances because it involved public funds entrusted for national development. He said such cases strike at the heart of public trust and require strong deterrent measures to reinforce confidence in State institutions.
“When there are aggravating circumstances, the law provides for a presumptive penalty of 20 years,” he noted, adding that anything less than a firm sentence would “trivialise corruption” and risk undermining the credibility of the justice system.
Mpofu was found to be the more culpable of the two. Although he apologised to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and to the nation, Justice Kwenda ruled that his apology did little to offset the severity of his actions. The court held that his leadership role in the fraudulent scheme, coupled with the failure to account for the funds, outweighed any mitigating factors put forward by his lawyers.
Chimombe’s defence team argued that he should receive a lighter sentence based on his personal circumstances, including his chronic health condition, lack of previous convictions, and the fact that he surrendered himself to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). While Justice Kwenda accepted some of these mitigating factors, he rejected the assertion that Chimombe played a minor role or that ministry officials bore responsibility for the collapse of the project.
“He was clearly in charge. His involvement was aggravatory,” the judge ruled, concluding that Chimombe had full knowledge of the operation and actively participated in the fraudulent conduct.
Ultimately, the differences in their sentences were attributed to personal circumstances, not the nature of the crime. Both men are expected to begin serving their respective terms immediately, unless they meet the restitution conditions outlined by the court. Their convictions serve as a reminder that misuse of public funds can carry severe legal consequences, particularly where aggravating factors and breaches of public trust are involved.
