Convicted businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who together have 24 children and an estimated net worth of around US$3 million, appeared in court on Wednesday for pre-sentencing as the State called for them to be jailed for 35 years.
Chimombe, who has three wives and 15 minor children, is their sole provider. Mpofu said he has nine children, eight of whom are still in school.
The two were found guilty of defrauding the state of millions intended to buy goats for Zimbabwe’s poorest families. Sentencing is scheduled for Monday, 8 December 2025.
They secured the tender using forged documents to supply 632,001 goats under the Presidential Goat Scheme, which targets orphans, child-headed households, the elderly, the disabled, and the chronically ill.
Prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi urged High Court Judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda to impose 35-year sentences, describing the offence as one that “shocks the conscience.”
Chimombe’s lawyers argued for a lighter sentence. Arshiel Mugiya said Chimombe is a first offender, diabetic, and had already spent months in custody.
He argued that Chimombe is a “rags-to-riches” businessman, owns properties in Borrowdale (US$800,000) and Chinhoyi (US$120,000), and vehicles worth about US$200,000, and is ready to make restitution.
Lovemore Madhuku, who is also Chimombe’s lawyer, added that the ministry’s tender committee failed in due diligence and should share some responsibility, suggesting Chimombe be barred from future government projects and that the time already served “meets the justice of the case.”
Under cross-examination during mitigation, Mpofu finally issued an apology, which the State said had been conspicuously absent. Said Mpofu:
“I first want to apologise to the President and the people of Zimbabwe. I regret everything that happened in the Presidential Pass-On Goat scheme that I and Blackdeck were entrusted to oversee.
“As a citizen, I have confidence in all the programmes that are rolled out by the Government to empower its people.
“I want to apologise on behalf of Blackdeck, its directors and shareholders that we failed to verify or perform due diligence, that the ZIMRA Tax clearance and NSSA certificate were genuine or fraudulent.
“The papers were fraudulent, and I stand in court today to admit that we failed on our part.“
He blamed poor internal controls at Blackdeck for the forged ZIMRA and tax clearance documents.
Mpofu said he hoped restitution could be arranged with assistance from the bank “through our lawyers,” but admitted he did not personally have the funds.
When the prosecutor pressed him about his assets, he revealed that he owns a house valued at US$1.5 million, which he transferred to a family trust in 2017 or 2018.
Mabhaudhi argued that, if Mpofu were sincere, he should have declared all his assets, including livestock.
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