In a brazen display of corruption that has sparked outrage across Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is embroiled in a scandal involving a Johannesburg printing firm and a larger-than-life tenderpreneur named Wicknell Chivayo. The scandal, which has been described as a “daylight robbery” of the Zimbabwean people, centres around a R570 million contract for the provision of ballot papers, biometric voter registration kits, and portable toilets for the country’s elections.
According to leaked documents seen by the Zimbabwean media outlet, NewsHawks, the South African printing company, Ren-Form, inflated the prices of the goods and services provided to the ZEC, with the help of Chivayo, who acted as their agent. In one instance, Ren-Form invoiced the ZEC R23 million for a server that normally costs just R90,000. The company also charged exorbitant prices for 2,000 non-flushing toilets, pricing them at R68,700 each, when they retail for about R10,000 per unit.
Chivayo, who is known on social media as “Sir Wicknell,” has nine businesses in South Africa and a history of brushes with the law, including a conviction for money laundering in Zimbabwe. He is notorious for his lavish lifestyle, which includes a fleet of luxury cars, some of which he donates to Zanu-PF-supporting musicians. Despite his tarnished reputation, Chivayo is believed to have close ties to the ruling party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ren-Form, a family-owned commercial printing company based in Selby, central Johannesburg, branched out from just providing ballot papers to acting as a one-stop shop for electronic equipment, hi-vis vests, and gadgets to display voting results. However, Chivayo’s former business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, claim that Ren-Form and Chivayo inflated costs by up to 235%. The ZEC paid the South African printing company at least R570 million, but the total paid to Ren-Form could be up to R1.8 billion ($100 million), according to NewsHawks.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has since opened an investigation into the matter and is seeking to interview Chivayo. Chimombe and Mpofu have been arrested as part of a separate investigation into the alleged failure to deliver on a contract for the presidential goat scheme, in which animals were supposed to be provided to poorer rural households.
When asked to explain the price increases, Jean-Pierre du Sart, Ren-Form’s sales director, called all the allegations false. “In any project, there are changes,” he said, but declined to provide further details due to confidentiality clauses in their contract with the ZEC. Chivayo has also denied any wrongdoing and described the leaked voice notes and messages as fakes. He claimed that he was under a sustained character attack from Chimombe and Mpofu, whom he described as “briefcase businessmen.”
However, the evidence against Ren-Form and Chivayo is mounting. Leaked documents show that the price of biometric voter registration (BVR) kits tripled in price from $5,000 per kit to nearly $16,000 by the time of the final invoice. Similar BVR kits cost $3,600 per unit when bought by the United Nations Development Programme for the 2021 elections in Honduras. Chivayo is also accused of receiving payments from Ren-Form, which he then transferred to his South African company, Intratrek.
The scandal has sparked outrage among Zimbabweans, who are fed up with the rampant corruption that has plagued the country for decades. Many believe that the ZEC, which is responsible for overseeing the country’s elections, should be held accountable for its role in the scandal. According to a report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, the ZEC has a history of bias and lack of transparency, which has undermined the credibility of the country’s elections.
The ZEC has denied doing business directly with Chivayo, Chimombe, or Mpofu and said that all procurement was above board. However, critics argue that the ZEC’s failure to conduct due diligence on Ren-Form and Chivayo is a serious lapse in judgment. They also point out that the ZEC’s decision to award the contract to a foreign printing company raises questions about its commitment to supporting local businesses and creating jobs for Zimbabweans.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 on a promise to tackle corruption and revive the country’s economy, has been largely silent on the matter. His spokesperson, George Charamba, condemned the “name-dropping” in the leaked voice notes and messages, but did not address the allegations of corruption against Chivayo and Ren-Form.
The scandal has also raised concerns about the independence of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), which is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption. Critics argue that the ZACC is not truly independent and is beholden to the ruling party. They point out that many high-profile corruption cases have gone unresolved, and that those who are accused of corruption are often allowed to continue in their positions with impunity.
As the investigation into the R570 million scandal continues, many Zimbabweans are demanding accountability and transparency. They want to see those responsible for the scandal brought to justice and the money recovered. They also want to see reforms to the electoral commission and the anti-corruption commission to ensure that such scandals do not happen again in the future.
