This week marks the first anniversary of the most controversial statement of our time—“Ndakachibata kuti dzvi” (I’m in firm grip of everything) —which reaffirmed State capture by Zimbabwe’s politically connected criminal elite.
To mark the first anniversary of this bold affirmation of State capture, I today republish my analysis of the full import of the leaked audios mid-June last year of Wicknell Chivayo (hereinafter called Chimusoro) which audios not only confirmed the illegitimacy of the 2023 elections but put beyond any shadow of doubt the fact that the country is being run by a criminal cartel.
When the late legendary musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi performed live in July 2017 in Chisipite, Harare, at Chimusoro’s marriage ceremony to his now estranged wife Sonja Madzikanda, I understand he played one particular song that might unwittingly have heralded the “arrival” of this egoistic and pompous charlatan.
Tuku’s epic song Kubvongodza Muto makes reference to a fictional, grab-all zealot called Chimusoro who is often all over the show, selfishly seizing and appropriating anything and everything in his wake for himself:
Kukambira kambira wanyanya x2
Icho nechicho ndechangu
Ako nekako ndekangu
Uyu neuyo ndewangu
Chimusoro, wanyanya Chimusoro…….x2
Indeed, the ex-convict who last June set social media ablaze over his leaked audios reminds me of Oliver Mtukudzi’s Chimusoro.
He has been all over the show grabbing all sorts of multi-million dollar contracts in controversial circumstances, on most of which he does not deliver at all.
From a solar project that died a stillbirth to provision of election material, from controversially being appointed Starlink’s local partner to being a purveyor of trinkets and trappings to an assortment of artistes and socialites, Chimusoro has gluttonously and selfishly grabbed everything for himself.
He has also conferred himself with knighthood and now goes by the moniker “Sir.”
In the leaked audios now in the public domain, our Chimusoro bragged about how he leverages his close relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to secure lucrative, million-dollar deals.
Today, I reflect on Chimusoro’s leaked audios and analyse the import of what he said, in his own words, even though he later tried to distance himself from the audios, claiming they were AI-generated.
Herewith my own brief analysis of the utterances in Chimusoro’s (in)famous audios:
- Ndakachibata Kuti Dzvi — I have fully and firmly captured the State
In the audios, Chimusoro tellingly and boldly declared that he had everything under his firm clutch and control. For emphasis, he echoed the same statement three times in one sentence, just to show that he is in total control and in complete charge of things.
Judging by his own words in one of the voice notes, Chimusoro could well be Zimbabwe’s de facto Prime Minister: “Ndakachibata kuti dzvi, kuti dzvi, kwete zvekufungira…” (I have everything firmly in my grasp, everything entirely under my control. Never doubt that.)
From the rest of the clips, we could deduce that Chimusoro is just ED’s errand boy.
The principal-agent theory teaches us that when the agent (Chimusoro) says he is in charge, he in fact means he is in control on behalf of his principal, in this case the President.
He later spilled out that when the President travels, he calls him over the phone from abroad “to give me instructions on what to do.”
This is the clearest evidence yet that whatever we see Chimusoro doing, he will be doing it on behalf of his principal.
- Tiri Vana VeMukuru—we are the President’s boys (fronts)
If anyone had any doubt that Chimusoro is just but a front, they only needed to look at how he openly told Mpofu and |Chimombe that he gets paid upfront on whatever contract he is awarded because “ tiri vana veMukuru” (remember we are the President’s boys/fronts).
Chimusoro only uses the plural term as a sign of respect to his colleagues but it is clear he is only talking about himself.
- The President directly tells me what to do
Whatever he does, Chimusoro will be working on the express instructions of the President, at least according to the audios:
Chimusoro said the last time at the airport, he accompanied President Mnangagwa on the red carpet up to the door of the waiting plane where the President reportedly told him what he must do while he was away.
This, he said, showed that he was right inside the thick of things.
Speaking in Shona, Chimusoro said:: “Ndakamuperekedza tichifamba pa red carpet kusvika padoor rendege ndikanzi osara uchidai, uchidai uchidai. Saka ndiri mukatikati.”
The import of this statement is that Chimusoro operates on the President’s express instructions.
Chimusoro is just a surrogate. There is a real principal who gives direction and express command.
There is no prize for guessing who the principal is.
- I receive advance payments
Dear reader, we have heard the government through Transport Minister Felix Mhona and others telling us that it was not government policy to give advance payments to contractors without them satisfactorily delivering to meet their side of the contract.
In the case of road contractors, Mhona specifically said government will not pay road contractors until and unless they have delivered to the quality and standards expected by the government.
But it appears there is a different rule for Chimusoro, who cited the President as the sole reason why he was paid upfront: Nekuti tiri vana vemukuru (remember, we are the President’s fronts).
For Chimusoro, it is this “parentage” that unlocks difficult doors.
- I receive direct calls from the President when he’s on trips abroad
Just as a sign of the proximity between ED and his proxy and just so that, dear reader, you can see that the President cannot easily wash himself off Chimusoro’s shenanigans, he (Chimusoro) said in the audios that the President shouted from the plane that he would call him from Italy about whatever he wanted done in his absence.
This line is just but a restatement of their cosy relationship, typical of any principal-agent nexus.
- I am ahead of the VPs
We heard that at the airport, the President communes last with Chimusoro and not his two VPs before his departure for trips abroad.
This speaks to Chimusoro’s now elevated status in both government and the party.
We have all seen the pictures at the airport, at one time at the ZITF where he was introduced to visiting Kenya President William Ruto and on the various trips abroad, including to Uganda in 2024, where ED deployed him instead of one of his deputies.
The optics that show that he is the last to be spoken to and that he gets the President’s last ear and attention before international departures could mean that in ED’s absence, our Chimusoro could well be the de facto acting Head of State.
- The elections contract made me richer 20 times over
The highly inflated elections contract in which Chimusoro was part of an élite network of middle persons in the purchasing of electoral kits and other voting material in the August 2023 elections made the charlatan super-rich.
As he said himself in one of the leaked audios, he was now 20 times richer than he was before the 2023 elections.
This is the scandal to which South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre has now raised a red flag over possible money laundering and other financial crimes.
In another leaked audio, Chimusoro made it clear how US1 million from the elections contract that came from Ren-form CC of South Africa would now be disbursed.
Chimusoro said Mabvuku MP Scott Sakupwanya would get US$350 000 as his share, Chimusoro himself, Mpofu and Chimombe would get US$150 000 each while CIO director-general Isaac Moyo and ZEC chairperson Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba would each get US$100 000.
In a normal country, heads are supposed to roll but one year later, it is the whistleblowers instead who are serving time in prison.
But then this is Zimbabwe, a typical banana republic.
- A contestant who orders the boxers’ fighting equipment
Just to reinforce that the President was Chimusoro’s principal, the US$40million contract was approved not by ZEC or the national procurement board but by the Office of the President and Cabinet, which meant by Mnangagwa himself.
For me, the under-reported scandal in this whole sordid saga is that ZEC is supposed to be an independent Commission that must run polls autonomously.
That the President, who was a candidate in the election, was allowed to meddle in the critical matter of choosing who would supply the voting materials for an election in which he was a contestant ought to be a very big issue.
Involvement in the procurement of voting material in an election in which he was a candidate was a privilege only accorded to President Mnangagwa and not to any other Presidential candidate.
It was akin to allowing only one boxing contestant before a key contest to be involved in the procurement of gloves and other boxing equipment ahead of a major boxing tournament.
In a normal country, this is a serious issue that sits at the heart of the integrity of an election.
But then this is Zimbabwe, a typical banana republic.
- I will get upcoming contracts in the police, immigration and potentially in grain imports
Chimusoro was even privy to upcoming government contracts in the various Ministries and other government departments.
What was telling even before the tenders were floated was that he was certain that it was him who would be awarded those huge contracts at the immigration department and in the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
He was certain because “tiri vana vemukuru.”(Remember we are the President’s boys).
- You talk too much
In one of the audios and in typical hush money lingo, Chimusoro accuses Mpofu and Chimombe of “talking too much.”
This was ironic, considering that it was Chimusoro himself who talks too much, not only on the various social media platforms where he brags about his contracts and flaunts his wealth, cars and shoes, but also even in the various voice notes that went viral,
It is Chimusoro himself who talked too much.
Thankfully, because of the loudmouth, we now know the extent of State capture by a small, politically-connected criminal elite.
Conclusion
The key tenets of the leaked audios unpacked above show that Chimusoro is not his own man. He is a front.
The various dubious contracts, both running and pending, were and will be awarded to Chimusoro with his principal’s knowledge and at his direct behest.
After all, some of these contracts, such as the ZEC and Starlink contracts were expressly but controversially awarded by Chimusoro’s principal, not by ZEC or POTRZ respectively, as should have happened.
In short, Chimusoro is just a surrogate.
When he said “Ndakachibata kuti dzvi”, Chimusoro in fact meant that his principal had fully captured the State,
Only he has done so through these criminal minions, especially Chimusoro, that the principal has allowed to flood the space around him.
Wanyanya Chimusoro. Kukambira kambira wanyanya.
Luke Tamborinyoka is a citizen from Domboshava. He is a journalist and a political scientist by profession. You can interact with him on his facebook page or via the X handle @luke_tambo.
