Former ZANU PF Mashonaland West chairman Temba Mliswa believes the decision to broadcast the corruption trial of Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu live indicates hidden influences at work.
The two have been in custody for over two months, charged with misappropriating around US$7.7 million from the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme. Their trial is set for October 22 and was recently streamed live on ZTN.
Mliswa suggested on X (formerly Twitter) that an ex-convict is manipulating events to harm Chimombe and Mpofu. While he didn’t name this person, some think their arrests are linked to Wicknell Chivayo, an ex-convict with ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Chimombe and Mpofu had leaked recordings accusing Chivayo and several officials of corruption, leading to speculation that their prosecution is retaliation.
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Mliswa believes that attention will soon return to the ex-convict behind the case. He expressed concerns about the political nature of the trial and noted that Chimombe should have been granted bail since he had no direct involvement in the goat scheme.
He criticized the misuse of power within ZANU-PF, recalling his own past persecutions. Mliswa urged those in power to use their influence positively rather than for personal gain.
He also pointed out that while this trial is being televised, bigger corruption cases like the Sandura Commission have been kept out of the spotlight, illustrating how the system can be exploited. He concluded by stating that the influence of money in politics has limits and that justice is ultimately impartial. Temba Mliswa
