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

Wicknell Chivayo, one of Zimbabwe's most recognizable and controversial businessmen, has died in a helicopter crash along with his wife and four others, his family confirmed on Thursday. The aircraft went down on Wednesday evening in the Marondera rural area, roughly 70km (43 miles) east of the capital Harare, according to police. All six people on board were killed.

The family spokesperson, Herbert Chivayo, told state broadcaster ZBC that the deaths of the businessman and his wife, Lucy Muteke, had left relatives devastated. "We are at a loss for words after the tragic news," he said. The confirmation followed earlier remarks by government spokesman Nick Mangwana, who described the victims as "a prominent businessman, three other passengers and two pilots" and stated that current information indicated there were no survivors.

Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the crash occurred at approximately 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Authorities did not immediately name all the occupants, though government officials confirmed that two of the six were pilots. The group had reportedly been travelling from Gandami in Chikomba, where Chivayo and his wife were building a rural home. According to ZBC, the helicopter came down at Kudenga Farm about 40 minutes after take-off.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. Police said investigations were under way, and emergency services were dispatched to the scene on Wednesday evening. No further details about the circumstances of the incident have been released so far.

Chivayo was managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe and had cultivated an unusually high public profile for a businessman, built on government contracts, philanthropy and frequent displays of wealth on social media. He was widely known as "Sir Wicknell," a title he used publicly and online despite never having received a British knighthood.

Among his best-known ventures was a $172m (£128m) 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. He 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, saying it had found no evidence linking Chivayo or the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to wrongdoing. Chivayo consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing linked to his business dealings.

Beyond his commercial activities, Chivayo was known for giving away luxury cars and large sums of money to musicians, religious leaders and other public figures, often publicising the gifts on social media. The BBC previously reported on how the self-styled knight's giveaways of cars and wads of cash generated widespread public discussion in Zimbabwe.

His connections extended well beyond his home country. Kenya's President William Ruto, who had previously appeared in public with Chivayo, paid tribute to him as a "dear friend" and sent condolences to the families of those killed. "I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent," Ruto said. Kenyan opposition figures had previously questioned Chivayo's repeated access to Ruto and State House.

Chivayo 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. That visibility, combined with his government contracts, made him a polarising figure in Zimbabwean public life.

The crash has drawn attention to aviation safety in the region, though no official findings have yet been released. The deaths of Chivayo and his wife, along with the four other occupants, represent one of the most significant single-incident losses involving a prominent Zimbabwean business figure in recent years.

Tributes continued to emerge on Thursday as news of the tragedy spread, with the family's confirmation bringing an end to initial uncertainty about the identities of the victims. Police have not indicated when the results of their investigation might be made public.

Chivayo's business dealings, his relationships with political leaders across the continent and his social media presence had made him a constant subject of public debate in Zimbabwe. His death, and that of his wife, leaves those disputes and investigations unresolved, while the families of the four other victims await further information from authorities. The ZBC reported that the group had been travelling from the site of a rural home the couple was building when the helicopter went down.