Online Reporter
Fidelis Munyoro
Chief Court Reporter
TWO State witnesses took the stand on Tuesday in the trial of Harare businessmen Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, accused of orchestrating a US$7.7 million fraud by allegedly diverting funds from the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme.
Their testimony focused on the authenticity of documents tied to a company that secured a tender to provide goats under the scheme.
The witnesses examined a tax clearance certificate and a compliance document from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), both submitted by Black Deck Private Limited in 2021.
The tender, issued by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, sought the supply of 632 001 goats under a US$87.7 million scheme aimed at distributing livestock nationally.
Prosecutors allege Black Deck Private Limited submitted fraudulent documents and that an unregistered entity, Black Deck Livestock and Poultry Farming, signed the contract with the ministry.
The first witness, Mr Fungai Kapfunde, a supervisor at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), testified about verifying the tax clearance certificate.
He explained that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) had approached him to confirm the document’s authenticity. Using the QR code embedded in the certificate, he discovered it belonged to Skywalk Investments, not Black Deck.
“I scanned the tax clearance certificate using the QR Code at the bottom, which gives details of who the certificate belongs to,” said Mr Kapfunde.
Under cross-examination by Advocate Tapson Dzvetero, representing Mpofu, Mr Kapfunde admitted he was not an IT expert.
However, he explained that anyone, including the public, could scan such codes to verify certificates.
He conceded that his evidence pertained only to the forged documents, not the accused individuals.
The second witness, Mr Titos Mbambe from NSSA, testified about the compliance certificate submitted by Black Deck.
He confirmed it was also forged, noting that the QR code linked it to Skywalk Investments.
Mr Mbambe said Black Deck had been deregistered in 2016 and was no longer active in NSSA’s database.
“ZACC wrote to us on June 21 last year asking us to verify the authenticity of the compliance certificate, which was issued to Black Deck for the period of 2021. I did the verification process using the QR Code and found it was issued to Skywalk Investments. Skywalk is active,” he said.
During cross-examination, Advocate Garikai Sithole, representing Chimombe, pressed Mr Mbambe on whether the NSSA system, which generates compliance certificates, could have been manipulated.
Mr Mbambe maintained that NSSA’s systems, like Zimra’s, use self-service platforms and QR codes that cannot be duplicated.
According to prosecutors, Mpofu and Chimombe misrepresented Black Deck’s credentials to win the tender.
Acting on these representations, the ministry paid 30 percent of the contract’s value — ZWL1.6 billion, approximately US$7.7 million—in two installments on April 21 and June 29, 2022.
When the company delayed delivering the goats, the ministry was informed that Black Deck had mobilised 32 500 animals across provinces for distribution. A subsequent verification process revealed only 3 713 goats on the ground.
The ministry then cancelled the contract on August 29, 2022.
To date, the ministry has received 4 208 goats, valued at US$331,445.25.
The National Prosecuting Authority alleges that the scheme caused a prejudice of US$7 380 751.85.
The trial continues today before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting with assessors Ms Margaret Chitsiga and Mr Temba Kuwanda.
Mpofu and Chimombe, arrested in June last year, have remained in custody since then.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries were expected to pass on animals to other households after breeding, ensuring the programme’s sustainability.
Peter Tanyanyiwa