A high-profile legal saga that has gripped Zimbabwe for 529 days reaches its climax today as the High Court delivers sentence in the US$7.7 million Presidential Goat Scheme fraud case involving businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu.
The pair, whose trial was broadcast live and drew nationwide attention, return to court for sentencing after completing pre-sentencing inquiries on Friday. They were convicted after a full trial before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting with assessors Margaret Chitsiga and Temba Kuwanda.
Prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi has called for a severe custodial sentence of up to 35 years, arguing that the fraud—one of the largest of its kind—robbed vulnerable rural communities of crucial support.
“They stole from the poorest of the poor,” Mabhaudhi said, warning that any lenient sentence would erode public confidence in the justice system. He dismissed the defence’s plea for leniency and restitution as insincere, noting that earlier attempts to recover funds under the Money Laundering Act had been resisted.
Chimombe and Mpofu were convicted of using forged documents—including fake tax clearance and NSSA compliance certificates—to secure a government tender through their company, Blackdeck Pvt Ltd. They were contracted to supply 85,000 goats to rural households under the Presidential Goat Scheme but delivered only 4,000, prejudicing the Government of more than US$7 million.
In mitigation, Mpofu apologised to President Mnangagwa and the nation, acknowledging the damage caused to the poverty-alleviation programme. Chimombe offered to reimburse the Government and argued he played a lesser role in the offence. Defence lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku urged the court to consider systemic failures within government tender processes that allowed the fraud to go undetected.
The defence also highlighted personal circumstances: the two men collectively have 24 children between them—Chimombe with three wives and 15 minor children, and Mpofu with nine. They claimed their dependents, business responsibilities, and health issues, including Chimombe’s diabetes and high blood pressure, warranted compassion and a sentence below the presumptive 20-year term.
Chimombe also disclosed that he owns two houses—one valued at US$800,000 in Borrowdale and another worth US$120,000 in Chinhoyi—and once earned between US$15,000 and US$20,000 monthly.
The case has sparked public outrage due to both the magnitude of the financial loss and the breach of trust in a scheme designed to uplift impoverished communities. As sentencing approaches, the ruling is expected to set a significant precedent for how the justice system handles large-scale corruption and fraud.
The court’s decision today will determine whether justice leans toward retribution or rehabilitation for the two disgraced businessmen.
