The disturbing irony hanging over Zimbabwe today

While South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has taken decisive steps to investigate the murky web of financial transactions

A disturbing irony hangs over Zimbabwe today. While South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has taken decisive steps to investigate the murky web of financial transactions linked to Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections—revealing the alleged looting of over R800 million by controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo—the Zimbabwean government has opted for shameful silence.

Not even a token expression of concern. Not a single pledge to investigate. No press statement from the presidency, nor from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), nor from the Ministry of Finance—whose own transfers triggered this scandal.

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One would be forgiven for thinking this scandal involved some faraway country, and not the plunder of taxpayer money in Harare. Yet it is South Africa’s authorities—namely the FIC, the Reserve Bank of South Africa, and the South African Revenue Service—who are ringing the alarm bells and pursuing criminal probes into the R1.1 billion transferred from the Treasury to the Johannesburg-based printing company Ren-Form CC, most of which swiftly flowed into Chivayo’s business and personal accounts.

This tale of alleged corruption, meticulously documented by the FIC and leaked to the Sunday Mail, began in April 2023 with a series of tranches totaling R1.1 billion paid by the Ministry of Finance to Ren-Form CC for the supply of electoral materials.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

Of that amount, more than R800 million was quickly funnelled to companies owned by Chivayo—primarily Intratrek and Dolintel Trading. Another R156 million was paid directly to Chivayo’s Edenbreeze, allegedly for architectural and engineering services.

However, the apex court judge flagged these transactions as having "no economic, rational or legal justification.”

The apex court judge pointed out that the transactions were linked to several legal and economic anomalies, rendering them highly suspicious.

The transactions were also clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the apex court judge and the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the apex court judge and the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18, 2024 by the apex court judge and the FIC as having "high risk" due to the speed at which funds moved, the stated purposes that weren’t aligning with activity, and the bulk transactions.

The transactions were clocked on May 18,