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South African businessman Mcebisi Mlonzi, the head of TFM Defence & Aerospace, is in advanced talks to supply Russian- and Chinese-made small arms to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), sources say. The deal — if concluded — would mark his most high-profile venture in the defence sector to date, following a long and controversial business history.
According to multiple regional reports, the contract being negotiated includes a “large quantity of small-calibre weapons,” such as assault rifles and ammunition, from manufacturers in Russia and China. Diplomats and security analysts are watching closely, given the sensitive geopolitics of arms transfers in Southern Africa.
Mlonzi is not new to high-stakes deals. He chairs TFM Holdings, which operates TFM Defence & Aerospace, part of the wider Ritam Holdings investment group. His business interests encompass multiple sectors, including defence, energy, and infrastructure.
But his reputation has been marred by legal and regulatory battles. Mlonzi is the director of Kwane Capital, which in 2017 came under investigation by South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit over a R92-million tender awarded under controversial circumstances to Amahlathi Local Municipality without a competitive bidding process. The SIU alleged that plant machinery was promised to the municipality under a hire-purchase agreement, although Kwane did not own the equipment, which was leased from Barloworld and Avis.
In 2019, he was charged with fraud, money laundering, and violating South Africa’s Municipal Finance Management Act linked to that same contract, though the courts later dismissed SIU’s effort to recover the funds, finding that procurement policies and deviations were adhered to under the applicable law despite irregularities in process.
In other episodes, Mlonzi has publicly refuted reports of arrest in Zambia in 2023 over alleged possession of gold and US dollars, calling such claims fake news and part of a smear campaign.
If Zimbabwe does sign the contract, it will shine a spotlight both on Mlonzi’s growing role as a regional broker in defence materiel and on the regulatory frameworks governing cross-border arms exports. Harare’s military leadership has strengthened ties with Moscow and Beijing in recent years, and such a deal would underscore that trend.
