Businessman Mike Chimombe finds himself battling against multiple allegations of fraud alongside the recent eviction of his company, Millytake Enterprises, from its office premises in Eastlea, Harare. The company, which Chimombe co-owns, was forced to vacate after a new property owner took over and upheld a previous cancellation of their lease.
Millytake Enterprises, established in 2008 and co-owned by Chimombe and Rusero Mitchell, has been a player in the supply of commercial and industrial equipment, with operations spanning construction, property development, and consulting services. However, the firm’s stability has been shaken by legal disputes and a diminishing reputation due to its owners’ involvement in high-profile fraud cases.
Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, his business partner, are currently facing legal action for allegedly defrauding the government of over $7 million that was supposed to be used for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme. Their woes have been made worse by the fact that they are also connected to a scandal involving Wicknell Chivayo, a convicted felon. According to reports, the two won a contested US$40 million contract from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to supply voting materials for the disputed national elections in 2023, a deal now under scrutiny for corrupt practices.
Chimombe’s decline from prominence has been rapid. Disagreements regarding the allocation of proceeds from the Zec tender, a topic of controversy and public interest, caused his relationship with Chivayo to deteriorate. However, Chivayo’s boasts about his power over Mnangagwa and mockery of the calls for his arrest in audio recordings that were leaked which revealed a wide network of corruption and influence.
In 2017, Chimombe’s Millytake Enterprises lodged a complaint against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission concerning a US$10 million tender allegedly fraudulently awarded to Sanitation Services for supplying portable toilets during the biometric voter registration exercise. According to Millytake, their bid was significantly lower, yet overlooked, which could have saved ZEC around US$5 million.
The eviction from their Eastlea office marks a significant setback for Chimombe’s business operations. A court order issued on June 29 demanded that Chimombe and any occupants vacate the premises within ten days. The order also specified that failure to comply would result in forced eviction by lawful authorities, further emphasizing the severity of their situation.
In addition to affecting Chimombe’s economic operations, the controversies and court cases have raised questions about the credibility of Zimbabwe’s government tendering procedures. As Chimombe and Mpofu prepare their defense against these serious charges, the outcome of these cases could have lasting implications for their futures.
