The spiralling downfall of once-powerful businessman Mike Chimombe has reached a new low, as his company, Millytake Enterprises (Private) Limited, has been forcibly evicted from its offices in Harare’s Eastlea suburb. This latest development is the latest setback in a rapidly unravelling empire built on a web of shady government deals and political connections.
Chimombe and his business partner Moses Mpofu currently face charges for allegedly defrauding the government of over US$7 million intended for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme. Additionally, they are embroiled in another scandal involving convicted criminal Wicknell Chivayo, where they stand accused of corruptly securing a US$40 million tender from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to supply electoral materials for the disputed 2023 general elections.
In a surprising turn of events, Chimombe found himself at odds with Chivayo, who brags about enjoying close ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Leaked audio recordings exposed Chivayo boasting about his influence over the President, further entangling the ZEC tender controversy in a web of intrigue.
Interestingly, Chimombe has a history of exposing fraudulent tender dealings. In 2017, his company, Millytake Enterprises, filed a complaint against ZEC over a US$10 million tender awarded to Sanitation Services for the supply of portable toilets during the biometric voter registration exercise. Despite Millytake Enterprises submitting the lowest bid of US$4.2 million for the supply of 206 portable toilets, Sanitation Services secured the contract at a significantly higher price. This incident sheds light on Chimombe’s involvement in challenging irregular tender practices.
Chimombe’s eviction from the Eastlea offices followed the cancellation of Millytake Enterprises’ lease agreement by the previous property owner. Nonetheless, Chimombe and his partners refused to vacate the premises, leading to a court order, dated 29 June 2023, that granted the new owner the authority to evict the company.
The court order states, “The first respondent and all those claiming occupation through him are hereby ordered to give vacant possession of Stand 7986 Salisbury Township Lot 1 of Beam Wireless Station Site of Salisbury Township Lands held under Deed of Transfer No 4811/2023 dated June 29, 2023 commonly known as No 5 Morton Jaffray Road, Eastlea, Harare, to the applicant within 10 days of service of this court order.”
The order further stipulates that if Chimombe fails to comply within the 10-day timeframe, the second respondent or their lawful deputy should proceed with the eviction of Chimombe and any occupants. Moreover, Chimombe, as the first respondent, is required to cover the legal costs incurred by the applicant.
Chimombe’s rift with Chivayo has proven detrimental to his standing. The leaked audio recordings, in which Chivayo unabashedly flaunted his influence over President Mnangagwa, only exacerbated the complications surrounding the controversial ZEC tender. While Chivayo has yet to face questioning by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission regarding his alleged involvement, Chimombe’s fortunes have taken a dramatic downturn.
