Harare – Controversial businessman and ZANU-PF activist Wicknell Chivayo has ignited public debate and outrage after boldly declaring — even before the verdict was delivered — that his former business partners, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, would each be sentenced to 20 years in prison. His dramatic statement, made on social media, has now taken on new significance following the High Court’s decision to convict the pair of fraud.
The declaration came just hours before Justice Pisirayi Kwenda handed down the guilty verdict, leaving Zimbabweans questioning whether Chivayo’s pronouncement was a mere coincidence, a spiritual “prophecy,” or a sign of insider knowledge about the court’s direction.
The unfolding saga began on 22 October 2025, when flamboyant preacher Prophet Passion Java took to social media to express confidence in Chimombe’s future ahead of the court judgment. In a light-hearted post, Java wrote, “Can’t wait to see you later my friend, God bless this day! #BossMike!!!”
The message was meant to convey optimism and solidarity — but it immediately drew a fiery response from Chivayo, who mocked what he called “false prophets” while delivering his own, eerily specific prediction. In a post written partly in Shona, Chivayo declared that Chimombe and Mpofu would be found guilty and sentenced to 20 years.
“Chenjerai vaporofita venhema pa nyika. Izwi rakati varume vamedzwa nehwai varwa nedenga. Today is not judgment day, it’s conviction day. 20 years dzakaprofitiwa ndiri pamusoro pegomo Johane Aka Tumwa Madzibaba… Ini ndiri mukuru, handitaure zvekunyepa,” he wrote.
Translated, his message read:
“Beware of false prophets in the land. The word declared that the men who fight the heavens will be swallowed by lambs. Today is not judgment day, it is conviction day. The 20 years were prophesied while I was on the mountain. Johane was sent (to the world) by Madzibaba… I am a senior person; I do not speak falsehoods.”
Within hours of that cryptic post, Justice Kwenda found Chimombe and Mpofu guilty of fraud in the Presidential Goat Scheme, a project designed to empower rural farmers. The sentencing was postponed to 31 October 2025, but Chivayo’s pre-verdict declaration instantly dominated social media and news discussions across Zimbabwe.
Wicknell Chivayo Says Ex-Partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu Could Face 20-Year Sentences
Observers were quick to draw links between Chivayo’s confidence and his perceived proximity to power. Known for his lavish lifestyle, political connections, and controversial statements, Chivayo has long been a polarizing figure. His ability to publicly “predict” court outcomes — particularly in a case involving his former business associates — has raised questions about whether he wields influence behind the scenes.
The case also represents the climax of a bitter feud between Chivayo, Chimombe, and Mpofu — once powerful business allies who collaborated on several government contracts. Their partnership imploded amid accusations of corruption, financial misconduct, and betrayal, leading to one of the most sensational fallouts in Zimbabwe’s recent business history.
The rift between the trio became public in mid-2024, after the emergence of leaked audio recordings that allegedly featured Chivayo boasting of his connections to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and discussing payments related to a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender worth over US$100 million.
In the recordings, a man said to be Chivayo bragged about having direct access to senior officials and claimed to have received large sums for facilitating the tender. The tapes triggered a political firestorm, prompting denials from Chivayo, who insisted the audios were “AI-generated fabrications” aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
However, the damage had been done. Chimombe and Mpofu accused Chivayo of betrayal, alleging he had cut them out of lucrative deals and left them to face the legal consequences alone. Their defense lawyers later suggested that their prosecution was politically motivated, orchestrated by those seeking to protect more powerful figures implicated in the deals.
As the trial unfolded, tensions between the former allies deepened. Each side sought to discredit the other, while the public watched the saga unfold like a political drama — part courtroom thriller, part social media spectacle.
Chivayo’s latest outburst, predicting both the conviction and the exact length of the sentence, has therefore only added fuel to the controversy. Some of his followers have praised him as a “spiritual visionary,” while others accuse him of arrogance and of trivializing the justice process.
Political analyst Dr. Ernest Mavhura described the timing of the post as “deeply concerning.”
“When someone closely linked to ruling party structures can make such precise public predictions about court cases, it inevitably raises suspicions about the independence of the judiciary,” he said. “Even if it was coincidence, the optics are damaging.”
The High Court’s conviction of Chimombe and Mpofu marks a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s ongoing corruption crackdown. The pair were found guilty of diverting funds and falsifying records in the Presidential Goat Scheme, a project aimed at boosting livestock production in rural areas.
With sentencing scheduled for 31 October, Zimbabweans are waiting to see whether Chivayo’s “prophecy” of 20 years behind bars will indeed come true.
For now, the case has reignited debates over corruption, political patronage, and the blurred boundaries between business, power, and the law. Whether Chivayo’s prediction was divine foresight, reckless boasting, or a hint of insider confidence remains an open question — one that the nation will soon see answered when Justice Kwenda hands down the final sentence.
