Last Tuesday, 17 December 2024, marked exactly six months or half a year after Michael Reza, the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, assured Zimbabweans that his Commission would summon, interrogate and investigate all the implicated people in the US$40 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission scandal.
The ZEC scandal, at the centre of which was one Wicknell “My Son” Chivayo, had directly and indirectly implicated many characters including Emmerson Mnangagwa himself, his office and family as well as CIO boss Isaac Moyo and ZEC chair Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba.
As Zimbabweans demanded answers and the arrest of all those implicated in the scandal, Reza told journalists on 17 June 2024 that ZACC would summon and interrogate Chivayo, Mpofu, Chimombe and all those named in the ZEC shenanigans.
Six months later, what is in the public domain is that only Mpofu and Chimombe have been interrogated by the Commission, even if it may not have been in connection with the ZEC scandal.
All the other characters, particularly Chivayo the kingpin, Moyo, Chigumba, chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, Chido Mnangagwa and others have not been called for interrogation.
If they were summoned, then ZACC should have made that public as it was important for them to do so for reasons of accountability and retaining public trust and confidence in the objectivity, impartiality and fairness of the operations of this important Commission charged with dealing with the grave matters of unmitigated graft, avarice and corruption in the country.
The failure after half a year by ZACC to investigate or update the nation on the probe into the huge heist at the national elections body is a massive indictment on the anti-graft body itself, especially in light of revelations that the looted ZEC is now in a huge financial crisis.
We have just learnt from the parliamentary portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs that ZEC is in financial dire straits.
In its 2025 post-budget report, the Committee has noted that the looted national elections management body is facing serious operational challenges and has massive outstanding bills from previous elections.
Though now broke and failing to pay outstanding debts, it is the same ZEC that was looted of millions by Mnangagwa and his allies in a huge scam that Reza has failed to investigate, six months after lying to the nation that his Commission would urgently do so.
Half a year later, Chivayo remains scot-free, with no evidence whatsoever that he was called to answer before the anti-graft body. And this in spite of Reza himself publicly assuring the nation that he would leave no stone unturned in probing the massive ZEC heist.
Indeed, on 17 June 2024, Reza assured the nation that his Commission would probe the ZEC scandal, which to all right-thinking Zimbabweans dents the credibility and independence of ZEC and seriously undermines the legitimacy of both our plebiscites and all the office holders bred out of them.
Mpofu and Chimombe, who were out of the country when Reza addressed the press on 17 June, have since told the court that when they reported at the ZACC offices upon their return, they were only asked about the goats and not about the ZEC scandal.
As a diversionary tactic and contrary to Reza’s feigned concern about the ZEC scandal, the anti-graft body appears to have successfully managed to sweep the massive looting under the carpet, concentrating instead on the comparatively lowly matter of the Presidential goats scheme.
When he addressed the press six months ago, Reza tellingly said he had just met with Mnangagwa. Given that revelation, perhaps there is no need to wonder why Chivayo, chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, Moyo, Chigumba, ED’s daughter Chido and others have been spared in this gargantuan ZEC heist which sits at the very heart of the credibility and legitimacy of our national elections.
Cyclone Chido
Apart from ED’s office, Mnangagwa’s daughter Chido also reportedly received massive payments from the proceeds of the ZEC robbery, directly implicating Mnangagwa himself in the scandal.
As the region grapples with cyclone Chido, ED, through his similarly named daughter, correspondingly wreaked havoc and upturned the integrity of the national elections body as well as the credibility of our national plebiscites.
Given the involvement of Mnangagwa, his family and office, perhaps there is no wonder why the probe into this cyclone has remained stillborn.
A Trabablas investigation
Now that the regime has rechristened the Mbudzi roundabout to the Trabablas interchange, ED’s reputed war name, we could be witnessing a Trabablas investigation into the ZEC heist, which Reza and his handlers falsely hope the nation will soon forget.
Trabablas now means roundabout or going round and round, as the so-called probe into the ZEC scandal appears to be doing with no tangible results.
Yes, a Trabablas or roundabout investigation that spins around but has deliberately spared the key architects of the scandal, particularly ED’s lackeys Chivayo and Rushwaya.
Conclusion
I hate to say I told you so.
But on 21 June 2024, as some thought ZACC would take action in the aftermath of its chair’s press conference, this column had a piece titled “A blunt Reza blade that will not cut anything.”
I said then that Reza would not do anything, not only because he was a Mnangagwa appointee himself, but because he had gone to meet ED in the aftermath of the scandal, most probably to get direction on how (not) to proceed.
You just do not consult a culprit on how you should proceed in prosecuting heir case!
This non-action after six months is exactly what ED told him, obviously because of his direct and vicarious involvement in the scandal.
Dear reader, on 17 June 2024, Reza simply took Zimbabweans for a cheap ride, knowing full well that there would be no consequences on him because he had Mnangagwa’s back.
Reza’s presser and his false assurance to Zimbabweans were only meant to be a lullaby to put the nation to sleep in the false hope that something was being done.
I have now been vindicated in my postulation that Reza’s rant was purely high-sounding nothing and sublime nonsense.
Indeed, I am vindicated in my view that this Reza (blade) is just too small, nay too blunt and grossly inadequate to cut through this huge edifice of avarice and graft that was showcased in the grand ZEC malfeasance.
Lastly, please Michael, in the name of transparency and accountability and for the integrity and reputation of yourself and your esteemed Commission, can you just update the nation on how far you have gone with the ZEC scandal probe?
Luke Tamborinyoka is a citizen from Domboshava. You can interact with him via his facebook page or via his X handle @luke_tambo.
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