Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has issued a statement distancing himself from alleged voice recordings in which he purportedly claimed to have captured President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chivayo accuses Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu of employing advanced Artificial Intelligence to fabricate the voice note, making it appear as if he self-incriminated. Reads the statement:
STATEMENT ON VOICE MESSAGES CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
It has been brought to my attention that there are voice messages purportedly being attributed to me which are circulating on various social media platforms. In these ‘voice notes’ I am alleged to have either communicated the impression that I wield certain influence over particular authorities of the State or that I intended to facilitate the making of certain payments to named individuals. In the public interest, I wish to make the following statement conscientiously in order to state the correct and factual position on this subject;
1. I categorically refute, deny, and dismiss with contempt, recording the voice messages in question. For the avoidance of any doubt I have never, at any material time, recorded the alleged voice messages, neither have I transmitted such to anyone. I therefore unequivocally distance and totally dissociate myself from these unauthentic voice messages. I have reason to believe that these recordings were generated through sophisticated technology, all with the fraudulent intention of creating false alarm and despondency.
2. The content and character of the alleged voice messages is however consistent with a sustained attack on my character and standing as a businessman by two excitable individuals who have recently made outrageous demands for certain payments from me without any legal or contractual basis of doing so. These two failed , struggling briefcase businessmen MIKE CHIMOMBE and MOSES MPOFU are merely overzealous extortionists and fraudsters who solely rely on opportunistic delinquency as a means of survival. If their demands for payment were indeed genuine, the duo should have approached the Courts of law for redress.
3. No amount of intimidation, coercion or duress will ever result in the unlawful making of payments that are not due or payable by me. I am fully prepared for any litigation or other consequence arising from demands by these two which are entirely premised on non-existent, fallacious, unlawful and extortionate grounds. I fully reserve my rights to take stern legal action against these two for conduct that is grossly defamatory and that is well calculated to put my name and business interests into disrepute.
4. I categorically deny having any business relationship with these two illiterate individuals or concluding any dealings, in terms of which they would be paid what they are publicly demanding. I further place on record that I have not, whether personally or through any of my companies, been a party to a contract with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Department of Immigration or the Zimbabwe Republic Police as insinuated in the manufactured voice messages. These Government entities are available to confirm this position.
5. The fake voice messages, coupled with previously circulated fraudulent documents on the same subject, are cluttered with political innuendos and undertones. The shadowy intention of these despicable claims is to discredit and soil the image of His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa, the First Family and the legitimacy of the Second Republic after its resounding victory in the August 2023 harmonized elections. The machinations are also well calculated to put into question and cast aspersions on the procurement processes which relate to the conducting of the last elections in Zimbabwe. I wish to publicly state that I have not been involved, neither do I hold any influence over procurement processes by ZEC or any other Government Ministries, Departments or Agencies.
6. Whilst the content of the alleged voice messages is undoubtedly false and deliberately fabricated, I understand the adverse impression that it has created on certain sensitive offices in both Government and the private sector. In particular, one of the offensive remarks made in these fake voice messages is that certain payment was to be made to a “DG” and another to “moms”. These terms have regrettably been ascribed to certain offices within structures of Government, and have been understood by the public to refer to a Director General. The remarks bear an undesirable effect of giving an impression that these authorities are involved in corruption or participate in illicit transactions. It is public knowledge that the only extent of my donations of 20 thousand USD were towards the ED UNZA Scholarship in 2023 and the Angel of Hope Foundation as both organizations dovetail with my philanthropic work. For the avoidance of doubt, I have never paid the Head of State, the First Lady or any other Government official anything outside of the two donations that I have referred to above. Related to this, I do not hold or exert any influence or control over the President, the First Lady, the First Family, Government officials or any public entity. I am an ordinary card-carrying member of ZANU PF, which I proudly support.
7. I hereby express my deep regret and profound apology to the esteemed office of H. E. President E. D. Mnangagwa, the First Lady, the First Family and any office or public official that these fake voice messages may have adversely affected or drawn into disrepute. I have taken a further step to personally extend my remorse and apologies to all Director Generals in Government, upon whom the malicious voice messages may unjustly be construed as applying. For the record, I hold all the Director Generals in various Government Departments in the highest regard. I have known them as men and women of unquestionable integrity and do not deserve having their good standing and repute being unnecessarily dragged in such mischievous yet damaging controversies. I once again extend my deepest regret over this unfortunate development, the extent of which bears the potential of diminishing public confidence in the affected Government institutions. I undertake to fully assist to the greatest possible extent, in demonstrating how the fake voice messages are devoid of any truth. I repeat that at no given time did I ever pay the Director General CIO Isaac Moyo or the Chief Secretary in the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya any money whatsoever for any service.
8. I wish to restate that I am a law-abiding citizen and businessman of international repute who upholds the highest level of integrity in all my business transactions. I do not condone any corrupt practices and I thoroughly condemn any illicit, criminal or unethical conduct in both the public and private sectors. I give my personal undertaking to cause a comprehensive investigation of this matter through the appropriate State authorities, whose findings will be made available in the public interest.
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