PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson George Charamba has denied claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and government's top brass have been captured by controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
Charamba said the audio clip circulating on social media purported to be Chivayo's was fake and meant to tarnish Mnangagwa's image.
In the audio recording, a voice purported to be Chivayo’s is heard boasting to be in full control of Mnangagwa and all State institutions.
However, Charamba took to X formerly (Twitter) challenging the authenticity of the voice in the clip.
“Is it not interesting that no one in the censorious formal or social media has taken the trouble to interview Wicknell Chivayo, firstly to authenticate the voice clip; secondly to hear his side of the story?
Why does one get the sense there is a determination to sow and cultivate mere tall claims whose relationship to the media-accused is yet to be proven, hoping that such claims will one day attach to the President, grow and mature into some nonexistent scandal enormous enough to trip him? Nothing can be more insane,” Charamba said in a post on his account @dhonzamusoro007.
This came as Chivayo also dismissed the recording as fake and part of a sustained attack on his character.
“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,” said Chivayo while implicating two Zanu PF-linked businessmen purported to be fighting him.
- Pomona saga: Harare handed shock US$750k ‘garbage’ bill
- Why we do what we do at AMH: Mafukidze
- Why we do what we do at AMH: Mafukidze
- Letter from America: Trevor Ncube: The cruel choices!
Keep Reading
“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.”
Chivayo also dismissed claims that he reaped a fortune from murky government contracts, including a US$40 million windfall from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) for the supply of voting material.
"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 the procurement processes by Zec or any other government ministries, departments or agencies."
He added that he has not, at any time palm-greased government officials including State security agents, the President and his family for special favours.
“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,” Chivayo said.
