The key State witness in the trial of business partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, accused of defrauding the State of over US$7 million through the Presidential Goats Pass-On Scheme, has failed to directly link the two to the alleged crime.
John Basera, who served as the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development at the time of the goat procurement deal, testified in court on Monday, June 2.
The contract in question was awarded to Blackdeck Pvt Ltd, the company tasked with supplying the goats.
Chimombe denies any involvement in the deal, and both accused men are mounting separate defences.
During cross-examination by Chimombe’s lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, Basera admitted he had no direct interaction with Chimombe during the bidding process or when the contract was signed between Blackdeck and the Ministry in November 2023.
Basera did recall Chimombe’s presence at certain meetings, negotiations, and public launches of the scheme.
He also noted that the surname “Chimombe” appeared on the contract, though it was Tinashe Chimombe who signed as a witness. When pressed further, Basera said:
I did not sign the document. I doubt if the second accused (Mike Chimombe) signed. Of course, the surname was a witness, but the second accused did not sign.
When asked to confirm whether Chimombe had any role in the tender process, Basera responded:
Certainly, there was no other connection, but he would accompany the Blackdeck representatives in the negotiations, and even at the launch of the programme in Chipinge, he was also present.
He said he could not recall seeing Chimombe at the award of the tender.
When Madhuku pressed for details about Chimombe’s involvement, Basera said Chimombe was frequently seen alongside Blackdeck representatives, attending meetings with the ministry’s technical teams and participating in the scheme’s launch in Chipinge. He said:
It was more spiritual and physical indeed, and no signature at all.
Earlier in the trial, Advocate Tapson Dzvetero, representing Moses Mpofu, concluded his cross-examination of Basera by presenting documents, including the contract, to argue that civil remedies like termination and arbitration were available in cases of misconduct.
He also cited a letter from Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming Pvt Ltd, dated April 21, 2022, proposing a 25% price reduction if payments were made promptly to the company’s nostro account.
Despite this offer, Blackdeck received Z$901,294,200 the following day as part of an approved US$12 million advance, though the Ministry never formally responded.
On June 13, 2022, Blackdeck proposed launching goat distribution in Mashonaland West. A week earlier, on June 6, the Ministry had requested 500 goat bucks be delivered to Chipinge for a presidential function, despite ongoing scrutiny of the contract.
At the heart of the case is whether the tender process was manipulated and payments were made to a fraudulent entity.
The allegations stem from a September 2021 tender to supply 632,001 goats under a US$87.7 million scheme.
The defence argues that procedural failures by the Ministry, including the non-payment of a stipulated 30% advance, made the contract’s execution impossible.
The prosecution, however, claims the accused exploited the process for personal gain.
The trial continues before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, with assessors Margaret Chitsiga and regional magistrate Temba Kuwana.
More: The Herald
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