Harare – Former Zimbabwe government Minister and ZANU PF politician Ignatius Chombo is alive and has not died hours after reports of his demise were reported on social media Wednesday.
Reports had said Chombo died after a long battle with prostate cancer but it has been confirmed as a lie.
Chombo served under the late former president Robert Mugabe’s government for more than a decade as Minister of Local Government and Minister of Finance.
Chombo was axed from government after the 2017 coup that removed Mugabe’s regime.
He came from the same village as Mugabe in Zvimba and was considered a blue eyed boy under the then former president.
Chombo was one of the ministers under Mugabe who had their houses attacked and raided by soldiers when the coup was underway.
He was arrested and kept in solitary imprisonment for a number of days before he was handed to police and was charged for corruption.
When his house was attacked by soldiers it was reported that he had private armed security guards who were Israelis that were killed during gun fire exchange.
It was also reported that a significant amount of cash was found at Chombo’s residence.
The soldiers who ransacked the house later found Chombo and his wife hiding in the ceiling.
Chombo divorced his first wife Marian Chombo who is now a Minister of State in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Chombo was exposed by the media during his divorce to Marian when court papers showed a long list of hundreds of immovable properties that he owned.
He owned houses in almost every city and town as well as prime land across the country.
Chombo’s critics said he amassed the properties through corruption when he was Local government minister at a time he presided over all councils across the country.