Zimbabwean Businessman Wicknell Chivayo and Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been confirmed dead following a helicopter crash in the country's Mashonaland East province, a tragedy that has sent shockwaves through both the nation's business community and its political establishment, according to a family statement released Thursday.

The aircraft went down on Wednesday evening in the Marondera rural area, approximately 70 kilometres (43 miles) east of the capital Harare, police confirmed. All six people aboard the helicopter perished in the incident, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents involving a private citizen in Zimbabwe in recent years.

Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed the deaths of the businessman and his wife to the state broadcaster ZBC, describing the family as utterly devastated by the loss. "We are at a loss for words after the tragic news," the spokesperson said, offering no further details about the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated that the aircraft crashed at approximately 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT). While authorities confirmed there were six occupants on board, they did not immediately release the identities of all those killed. According to government officials, two of the six people on board were pilots operating the aircraft.

Government spokesman Nick Mangwana also confirmed the crash in a post on X, stating that the helicopter was carrying "a prominent businessman, three other passengers and two pilots." He added that preliminary information indicated there were no survivors. The confirmation from multiple official sources underscored the gravity of the incident.

According to reporting by ZBC, the group had been travelling from Gandami in the Chikomba district, where Chivayo and his wife were reportedly building a rural home. The helicopter went down at Kudenga Farm roughly 40 minutes after take-off, suggesting the aircraft had been in the air for a considerable period before the crash occurred.

The cause of the crash remained unknown as of Thursday, and police confirmed that investigations were under way. Emergency services were dispatched to the remote crash site on Wednesday evening, though the rural location and the severity of the impact likely complicated rescue and recovery efforts.

Chivayo was the managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe and had cultivated a high public profile through a combination of government contracts, philanthropic gestures, and ostentatious displays of wealth on social media. His flamboyant persona made him one of the most recognisable — and polarising — business figures in the country.

Among his best-known business ventures was a $172 million (£128 million) solar power project in Gwanda, awarded to Intratrek by the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company. The project became the subject of years of legal disputes, drawing scrutiny over procurement processes and the awarding of major state contracts to a private entity.

Chivayo also faced scrutiny over the procurement of materials for Zimbabwe's disputed 2023 elections. The country's anti-corruption commission investigated allegations surrounding contracts awarded to South African company Ren-Form but closed the inquiry in 2025, stating it had found no evidence linking Chivayo or the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to wrongdoing. He consistently denied all allegations of impropriety related to his business dealings.

Widely known as "Sir Wicknell," Chivayo frequently used the title publicly and across his social media platforms, even though he was never formally granted a British knighthood. His self-styled title became emblematic of his larger-than-life public persona, which blurred the lines between genuine achievement and self-promotion.

He was also renowned for his generosity — or at least his highly publicised version of it — giving away luxury cars and large sums of money to musicians, religious leaders and other public figures. These gifts were often documented and broadcast on social media, amplifying his reputation as a benefactor while simultaneously attracting criticism from those who viewed the displays as performative.

His connections extended well beyond Zimbabwe's borders. Kenya's President William Ruto, who had previously appeared in public alongside Chivayo, paid tribute to him as a "dear friend" and extended condolences to the families of all those killed in the crash. "I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent," Ruto said in a statement.

However, Chivayo's repeated access to Ruto and State House had drawn questions from Kenyan opposition figures, who raised concerns about the nature of the relationship between a foreign businessman and the Kenyan presidency. These questions reflected broader unease about Chivayo's extensive political connections across the continent.

He frequently publicised his access to African leaders, posting photographs of meetings with presidents including Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan, as well as Eswatini's King Mswati III. These images reinforced his carefully cultivated image as a power broker with friends in the highest offices across the region.

The crash has left many questions unanswered, particularly regarding the cause of the accident and the identities of the other victims. As investigators continue their work at the remote farm site, the families of the deceased await answers while a nation grapples with the sudden loss of one of its most controversial yet undeniably influential figures.

For Zimbabwe, the death of Chivayo removes a polarising character from its public life — a man who embodied both the aspirational energy and the contentious realities of doing business in a country where state contracts, political connections and personal wealth are often deeply intertwined. His legacy will likely remain as contested as his life was public.