“Sir Wicknell,” the popular Zimbabwean millionaire, full name, Wicknell Chivayo, his wife, Lucy and four other yet to be identified have died in a helicopter crash in a suburb of the Harare, the Zimbabwean capital.
Police reports indicate that the aircraft crashed at around 5: 00 pm near Marondera on Wednesday killing all six on board.
Chivayo, 46, born on Nov. 22, 1980, in Chivhu, is the most prominent millionaire he made name and fortunes through state contracts. He was well known for and a very lavish and public display of wealth, including expensive cars and large gifts to musicians, journalists, sports organizations and members of the security forces. His admirers called him
He served a three-year prison sentence for defrauding a South African businessman.
Late Chivayo had strong business connections beyond Zimbabwe, he was known to have strong business connections among many African leaders including Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe, Samia Suluhu, Tanzania and William Ruto, Kenya among several others.
President Ruto in a tribute described the Zimbabwean millionaire as a dear friend and sent condolences to his family.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic passing of my friend, Wicknell Chivayo, together with his wife, Lucy Muteke, and the other lives lost in the helicopter crash in Zimbabwe. Their sudden departure is a painful loss to their families, friends and all who knew them,” Mr Ruto said. “Wicknell was a dear friend whose warmth touched many people. I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent,” President Ruto wrote.
Earlier, Zimbabwe government confirmed the crash but did not name the victims. “The government wishes to confirm that a helicopter crash has occurred, involving one high-profile businessman, three other passengers, and two pilots,” Nick Mangwana, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, said in a statement. “Current information indicates that there were no survivors in this crash.”
Late Chivayo was not a man shy of controversy, when he openly declared support for the ruling ZANU-PF party, critics accused him of profiting from his closeness to the government and accusation he has repeatedly denied and defended his wealth and philanthropy.
His business career was shadowed by legal battles. In 2011, he was arrested on eight counts of fraud and money laundering. He later faced several rounds of prosecution over an advance payment for the Gwanda Solar Project, a state power contract awarded to his company Intratrek Zimbabwe, and was finally acquitted in 2024. In December 2025, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission said it had found no evidence directly implicating him in a separate transaction it had investigated.
In recent years, Chivayo had expanded beyond Zimbabwe. He was reported to have built close ties with Kenyan President William Ruto, and in June his company IMC Construction Kenya secured a stake in a proposed $2.9 billion infrastructure expansion in Kenya.
He had remained publicly active in the weeks before the crash, including on social media, where he regularly posted about his cars, gifts and business deals to a large following