Despite bitter fallout, Sonja Madzikanda pays last respects at Chivayo’s Gletwin house

Wicknell Chivayo’s ex-wife, Sonja Madzikanda, has joined mourners at his home in Gletwin, despite a bitter fallout earlier this year.

She was accompanied by her mother, Tabitha Madzikanda, Chivayo’s former mother-in-law. The two young children they share have reportedly been taken for counselling.

This comes as DNA testing is underway to identify body parts of the five victims of Wednesday evening’s helicopter crash at Kudenga Farm, near Marondera in Mashonaland East Province.

Chivayo died alongside his wife Lucy Rujeko Muteke, her aide Saneliswe Magagula, pilot Calvin Tafirei Soda and co-pilot Courage Mutavirwa.

There had been no love lost between Chivayo and the Madzikandas after he caused their arrest in May.

The two women spent several days on remand after being arrested over allegations that they had circulated AI-generated images of Chivayo alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and over a dispute involving his children’s investment.

They were due to appear at the Harare Magistrates Court at Rotten Row for a rescheduled bail hearing when Chivayo withdrew all charges about a week after the arrests.

Speaking outside court at the time, he used the Shona-English slang phrase “vanzwa butter” – a street expression conveying satisfaction at someone else’s suffering – to describe their time inside.

He said he had no regrets about having them locked up, arguing his former mother-in-law had gone to extremes.

“I don’t regret anything because for my mother-in-law to circulate, you know, fake pictures of me and President Ramaphosa as a way of trying to show that President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson lied that it was my first time meeting him at Precabe farm, I think that was a bit out of order,” he said.

“She went to extremes. You know, citizens must respect Heads of State. That was uncalled for. And she deserves to have slept inside for a few days. So she knows what to do as a 63-year-old woman. So vanzwa buttercup.”

He also defended the arrest of his former mother-in-law – a highly unusual move that contradicts Shona tradition – claiming she had attempted to buy a piece of land worth US$1.4 million using his children’s money.

According to Chivayo, a High Court order provided that US$5 million be held as a cash investment for the children, with him playing an oversight role.

“There was no fraud that was committed, but she attempted to buy some piece of land worth 1.4 million with my children’s investment,” he said.

“Behind my back, she was trying to go and buy land to try and build clusters. As a mother-in-law, that’s not her responsibility.

“My ex-wife has been trying to connive with banking officials to say, can they remove Wicknell as a signatory on the children’s account, when in the beginning the order said I play an oversight role. The money belongs to my kids… So for her to try and remove my name so that she and her mother can go and build cluster houses… is unacceptable.”

Despite the dispute, Chivayo said he had decided to forgive them because his children had started asking, “Where is mummy?”

“She’s the mother of my children. So I have forgiven her. My kids have been calling, asking, ‘Where is mummy?’ So once it involves my kids, then I’m defeated because they are the people I love the most,” he said.

“Our relationship can never end. We have two children, so if they hate me, it’s okay, and I’ll still be there for them. I’ve forgiven them.”