SOUTH Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit, the Hawks, has confirmed that its investigation into the explosive R1,1 billion Zimbabwean election funds scandal is still active — directly contradicting public claims by Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption watchdog and thrusting businessman Wicknell Chivayo back under the spotlight.
In a development that deepens the cross-border controversy, the Hawks say they are pressing ahead with investigations into suspicious financial flows linked to payments made by Zimbabwe’s Treasury to South African firm Ren Form CC for the supply of electoral materials during the 2023 general elections.
Those funds were later red-flagged after being channelled to a web of companies allegedly linked to Chivayo, triggering money-laundering probes on both sides of the Limpopo.
This comes as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), last year, publicly stated that it had found no link between Chivayo and the R1,1 billion (US$67,25 million at the current exchange rate).
Crucially, sources with direct knowledge of the investigation say Zacc has not formally communicated this position to South African authorities.
“The decision taken in another country will not affect our investigation. The evidence gathered on this side will determine a way forward,” Hawks national spokesperson Thandi Mbambo told the Zimbabwe Independent this week.
Mbambo confirmed the unit was analysing suspicious transaction reports generated by South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), which were shared with the South African Revenue Service, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
“We are looking at the suspicious transactions flagged by the FIC. Only when evidence has been gathered will a formal investigation be launched, and we will know as well who is the person of interest,” she stated.
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At the heart of the issue is a R1,1 billion payment made by Zimbabwe’s Treasury to Ren Form CC, a company selected by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) allegedly without a competitive tender process, to supply polling materials for the 2023 elections.
The FIC later flagged Ren Form for allegedly inflating its invoices to Zec and for transferring large sums to several firms allegedly linked to Chivayo.
Among the alleged companies implicated are Intratrek Holdings, Dolintel Trading Enterprise, Edenbreeze, Asibambane Platinum Group and Agile Venture Capital.
Sources in Pretoria confirmed that South African authorities have received no
official notification suggesting that Chivayo had been cleared by Zimbabwean investigators.
“Our investigation, based on payments transferred by Zimbabwe’s Treasury to Ren Form CC and subsequently channelled to firms linked to Chivayo, is still alive,” one source involved in the probe stated.
“Investigations of this nature take long to conclude. We are still investigating. Unfortunately, investigations are not run through the press.”
Chivayo, who was convicted of fraud in 2004, has previously complained about the toll the investigations have taken on his personal and business life.
“Any reputational damage is almost irreparable,” he told the Independent in December.
“The prolonged investigations, based on fabricated allegations, caused severe and irreparable damage to my business interests and personal reputation over the past two years.”
He also confirmed that, despite Zacc’s public pronouncements, he had not yet received any formal notification that the Zimbabwean investigation had been closed.
Repeated questions sent to Zacc in December on whether it had formally concluded its probe, and whether it had notified the Hawks, went unanswered.
A source familiar with the matter said: “In plain terms, it is not clear whether Zacc actually closed its investigation despite
the chairman’s announcement last year. What is clear is that nothing has been communicated by Zacc to the Hawks or to Chivayo”.
At the time of publication, Ren Form CC had not responded to questions.
Zec also failed to explain how the company was selected to supply sensitive election materials without a public tender.
Meanwhile, the international dragnet appears to be widening, with the United States Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also understood to be examining aspects of the case.
