Business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe have been sentenced to prison after being convicted of defrauding the government of US$7.3 million in the failed Presidential Goat Scheme tender.
Mpofu was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with 3 years suspended on condition of good behaviour. Of the remaining 19 years, an additional 4 years will be suspended if he repays an undisclosed amount, leaving him with an effective 15-year jail term.
Chimombe received a 17-year sentence, with 3 years suspended. He has also been ordered to repay US$964,024, and if he does so, a further 2 years of his sentence will be suspended. This results in an effective 12-year jail term.
The ruling marks a significant conclusion to one of Zimbabwe’s most highly publicised corruption cases, in which millions of dollars were paid out for goats that were never delivered. The court stressed the importance of imposing deterrent sentences to safeguard public resources.
