Why African tycoon Wicknell Chivayo is both loved and hated

OCT 9 – Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, who died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, Lucy Muteke, last week, divided opinion during his life and continues to do so even after his death.

He called himself “Sir Wicknell”, a nickname that reflected his extravagant lifestyle. The 45-year-old accumulated enough controversy during his relatively short life to last several lifetimes.

Chivayo meticulously documented his lifestyle, building much of his public persona on social media, where he posed with bundles of cash and announced the cars and money he was giving to people he said deserved them.

He frequently showcased his access to African heads of state and flaunted his possessions, conducting video tours of his fleet of expensive cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, complete with personalised number plates. He also displayed his watches and extensive collection of designer shoes.

His admirers saw a wealthy man sharing his good fortune. His detractors disliked the ostentatious displays, questioned the sources of his wealth and his political connections, and viewed his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.

The criticism did little to deter Chivayo. As his fortune grew, he continued to flaunt his wealth in a country where nearly half the population lives below the international poverty line, according to the World Bank.

“He gave to those on an island of wealth in a sea of poverty,” Pedzisai Ruhanya, director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute think-tank, told the BBC, explaining that Chivayo’s donations largely benefited influential people.

Ruhanya dismissed the generosity as grandstanding on behalf of the ruling Zanu-PF party, arguing that it was an attempt to secure the support of key politicians and even church leaders.

Yet Chivayo was mourned after his death, particularly by those who had benefited from his money. Politicians, religious leaders and business figures also paid tribute to him.

Among those gathered at his palatial home in the capital, Harare, ahead of his burial alongside his wife on Thursday was Cleopas Mukungunugwa, a prominent young Zanu-PF social media influencer who had received two luxury cars from Sir Wicknell.

Standing outside the mansion, where a large poster of the couple was displayed, Mukungunugwa told local media that he was shocked by the death of his benefactor. He explained that Chivayo often instructed him on what to write in his social media posts.

“Many people on social media criticise him, and our goal is to boost his reputation as a philanthropist,” he said.

Chivayo dropped out of high school at the age of 15 because his family could no longer afford his fees after his father died when he was 10.

His first job was as a wage clerk at a bus company. He subsequently ventured into business, selling mobile phones and trading in foreign currency, often on the black market, as Zimbabwe battled hyperinflation.

In 2005, he was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering involving 837,000 South African rand, worth approximately $137,500 at the time. He served three years at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after two years of his sentence were suspended.

Details of his career after his release remain unclear, but he entered the energy sector and became what a state-run newspaper described as a “tenderpreneur”, someone who makes money by securing government contracts.

He headed Intratrek Zimbabwe, which partnered with Chinese electrical giant CHiNT Electric. This was during a period when Zimbabwean law required companies to transfer economic control to black Zimbabweans under a policy known as indigenisation.

In 2014, Intratrek was awarded a contract to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant in the southern town of Gwanda. The contract, valued at more than $170 million, was signed the following year and became one of the biggest controversies of Chivayo’s business career.

Zimbabwe Power Company, the state-owned utility that awarded the contract, attempted to terminate the agreement after Intratrek failed to deliver the project. However, the courts ultimately ruled that the agreement remained valid.

A subsequent parliamentary inquiry described Intratrek as a “briefcase company” used to attract investment.

Chivayo acknowledged that Intratrek was not an expert in solar construction, describing it as the local partner while CHiNT provided the technical expertise.

Intratrek received an advance payment of more than $5 million for the Gwanda solar project, but the plant has yet to be built.

Just weeks before Chivayo’s death, Intratrek received a government notice to proceed with the project and was given 24 months to complete it.

As allegations mounted, the businessman maintained a confident public demeanour and talked his way through the controversies. He eventually won over President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had initially expressed displeasure with his conduct after coming to power.

In 2018, Mnangagwa cited the Gwanda project as a lesson in the dangers of doing business with “fly-by-night briefcase businessmen”. He added that “Chikurubi is not full”. The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the warning was directed at Chivayo.

Yet within a few years, their relationship had transformed into an unusually close friendship. Numerous photographs showed Chivayo appearing relaxed in the president’s company.

His access to power was not limited to Zanu-PF. He also posted photographs with opposition figures, including the late Morgan Tsvangirai and Nelson Chamisa.

Nevertheless, he became a familiar presence around Mnangagwa, frequently praising the president and openly expressing his support for Zanu-PF.

Chivayo faced allegations linked to the procurement of materials for Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections, in which Mnangagwa secured a second term.

Investigations alleged that South African supplier Ren-Form had significantly inflated prices and subsequently paid hundreds of millions of rand to a company linked to Chivayo.

He denied wrongdoing, and Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption commission later said it had found no evidence linking him to procurement fraud. Ren-Form also denied wrongdoing.

In April, Chivayo offered $10,000 each to the country’s 360 legislators, prompting accusations that he was seeking to influence a vote on a controversial constitutional amendment that would extend Mnangagwa’s tenure by two years, to 2030, beyond what would otherwise be his final five-year term.

Following a backlash, he was forced to withdraw the offer and denied intending to influence the vote.

When the legislation was signed into law several months later, Zanu-PF posted a video of Chivayo with the caption: “Billionaire Sir Wicknell Chivayo celebrates… singing ‘2030 Ndeya Emmerson Baba!’ while cruising at 51,000 feet aboard his Gulfstream G550.”

Access to political power became a central feature of Chivayo’s social media persona.

In June, Eswatini’s King Mswati III granted him citizenship of the southern African kingdom and a diplomatic passport. Photographs and videos showed him kneeling before the monarch.

His impressive collection of photographs also included images of him with other African leaders, including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Malawian President Peter Mutharika, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Earlier this year, he was also part of a delegation that met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa when Ramaphosa visited Mnangagwa’s farm.

Some of his relationships extended beyond formal political engagements. In August, Chivayo and his wife attended the engagement ceremony of Kenyan President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene, at the presidential family home.

In Kenya, however, the Zimbabwean businessman was viewed with considerable suspicion because of his closeness to Ruto, a relationship that attracted renewed scrutiny on social media following his death.

“As a Kenyan, I distance myself completely from President Ruto’s glowing tribute to Wicknell Chivayo. Those condolences and that ‘dear friend’ language are his own, not mine, as a Kenyan,” Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi said.

One commentator on X said Chivayo’s death had “united Africans in celebration”.

“When a man’s death brings more relief than sorrow, the reaction itself tells a powerful story. It is time for those in power to reflect and re-evaluate,” the commentator wrote.

Others, however, criticised those speaking negatively about the deceased, arguing that doing so was un-African. The debate over the tycoon’s legacy continued to dominate discussions in Zimbabwe.

At a shopping centre in Harare over the weekend, accountant Christabel Moyo articulated concerns shared by many critics.

“What is African about making yourself rich through inflated government contracts and using the money to support Zanu-PF?” the 42-year-old asked.

“He was busy giving away cars and cash to the rich while Zimbabwe’s public health system was collapsing.”

The extraordinary gifting spree for which Chivayo became famous began around 2023. Musicians, sports personalities, business figures, politicians and religious leaders were among those who received cars and cash in what critics viewed as a blatant attempt to buy support for the ruling party.

The gifts initially included relatively modest Toyota Aquas but soon became significantly more expensive.

Popular musician Jah Prayzah, who is close to Zanu-PF, received three luxury cars and about $400,000 over three years.

The musician postponed his wedding, which had been scheduled for the weekend of Chivayo’s death, following the helicopter crash.

“Wicknell is more than a friend to us,” he said.

Another prominent beneficiary was Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, head of the Zion Christian Church, which is considered loyal to Zanu-PF. The cleric received millions in cash donations and four luxury cars.

Chivayo regularly attended the Johane Masowe weChishanu African Apostolic Church, one of Zimbabwe’s largest religious movements, whose followers are known for worshipping outdoors dressed in white robes.

The church also received numerous cars, buses and cash donations from the businessman as he sought to strengthen the influential religious sect’s relationship with the ruling party.

In August, Chivayo brought Mnangagwa as the guest of honour to a massive church gathering.

For his supporters, Chivayo was a generous benefactor who used his wealth to improve lives and reward loyalty. For his critics, he embodied the troubling relationship between money, political influence and public resources.

His death has therefore left behind a complicated legacy, one shaped as much by his extraordinary generosity as by the controversies surrounding his business dealings, political connections and conspicuous displays of wealth.