Johnson Progress

Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe have been sentenced to 15 and 12 years in prison respectively, for their involvement in a US$7 million fraud scandal related to the Presidential Goat Scheme.

According to a court ruling that was handed to them today, Mpofu was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with three years suspended on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence involving dishonesty in the next five years.

On the remaining 19 years, four years were suspended on condition of restitution, leaving him with an effective jail term of 15 years.

Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who delivered the sentence, noted that the presumptive starting point for sentencing was 20 years, citing aggravating circumstances.

“The offence involved a significant amount of money and the misuse of public funds, warranting a harsher penalty,” Kwenda said.

Chimombe, on the other hand, was sentenced to 17 years in prison, with three years suspended for five years on condition that he doesn’t commit any offence involving dishonesty.

On the remaining 14 years, two years were suspended on condition that he pays restitution of US$964,000, leaving him with an effective sentence of 12 years.

Prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi had urged the court to impose a stiff custodial sentence, stating, “They stole from the poorest of the poor”.

The duo’s actions were a “serious abuse of public trust” and involved “huge sums of public money,” Mabhaudhi added.

Mpofu and Chimombe were found guilty of using forged documents to secure a tender to supply 85,000 goats to rural communities under the Presidential Goat Scheme.

However, only 4,000 goats were delivered, leaving the majority of beneficiaries without the promised support.

The scandal has sparked widespread outrage and raised questions about systemic weaknesses enabling large-scale procurement fraud.

The duo’s fall from grace has also intensified scrutiny on government tenders and the role of influential business figures in Zimbabwe’s economy.

Both Mpofu and Chimombe have indicated they will appeal their convictions and sentences.

The court has given them 14 days to file their appeals.