Finance Ministry Collapses as Surprising Evidence Links Mnangagwa Directly to Missing $42M Scandal

‎A major corruption scandal has come to light, involving Zimbabwe’s Finance Ministry secretary George Guvamatanga and controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo. The case centers on a payment of over R1.1 billion (about US$58 million) made by Zimbabwe’s Finance Ministry to a South African company called Ren-Form CC for election materials. More than R800 million (US$42 million) of this money was quickly sent to companies linked to Chivayo, with no clear evidence of goods or services provided.
‎
‎Guvamatanga, who approves all government payments in Zimbabwe, is now under scrutiny. Investigators believe a payment this large could not have happened without his direct approval. The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) in South Africa has called the Ren-Form deal a suspicious scheme to steal public money from Zimbabwe.
‎
‎There are also claims that Guvamatanga owns expensive properties in South Africa that he hasn’t declared officially. These include a luxury home in Sandton, an apartment in Cape Town, and a commercial building in Midrand. The FIC has told South African tax and police authorities about possible money laundering related to these properties.
‎
‎Documents show that after Ren-Form got the money from Zimbabwe, it quickly paid out over R800 million to various companies. Many of these were linked to Chivayo. Some of the payments raised red flags, like R156 million to a Chivayo company for vague “architectural and technical services.”
‎
‎The scandal came out when Chivayo had a falling out with his business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu. They leaked messages and recordings where Chivayo allegedly talks about bribing top Zimbabwean officials, including Guvamatanga.
‎
‎Chivayo has denied the recordings are his and apologized to President Mnangagwa and other officials. However, he didn’t deny that the payments happened. Chimombe and Mpofu were later arrested in Zimbabwe on unrelated charges, which some see as an attempt to silence them.
‎
‎Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption agencies haven’t taken strong action against anyone involved so far. The government hasn’t confirmed or denied Guvamatanga’s role in approving the payments, and Guvamatanga himself has stayed quiet.
‎
‎Guvamatanga’s close ties to President Mnangagwa and his cabinet have protected him from consequences so far. He’s seen as an important figure in managing Zimbabwe’s struggling economy and the ruling party’s patronage networks.
‎
‎With South Africa now investigating, there’s pressure on Zimbabwean authorities to cooperate. The FIC has shared its findings with Interpol and international anti-corruption groups. If Guvamatanga is found to have helped or benefited from illegal money flows, he could face legal trouble in South Africa, even if Zimbabwe doesn’t act.
‎
‎For many Zimbabweans, this scandal shows how elections are not just manipulated at voting time, but also used as opportunities for well-connected people to steal millions of dollars from public funds.

source