Wicknell Chivayo, wife among six killed in Marondera helicopter crash

Wicknell Chivayo and his second wife Lucy Muteke, both killed in a helicopter crash in Marondera on September 30, 2026

HARARE – Millionaire businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy were killed in a helicopter crash near Marondera on Wednesday evening, his family confirmed.

Chivayo, who would have turned 46 in November, was flying to Harare when the aircraft crashed in rural Marondera at around 5PM, family spokesman Herbert Chivayo said.

Police confirmed the crash but did not immediately identify those aboard.

“The ZRP confirms a plane crash in Marondera rural area at 1700 hours, this evening. The aircraft had 6 occupants. More details will be released in due course as the scene is currently being attended,” national police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a statement.

Two of the six occupants are believed to have been pilots.

A source briefed on the accident described the crash site as a scene of “absolute carnage”, with dismembered bodies scattered around the wreckage of the chopper.

Chivayo rose to prominence after a spell in prison for fraud. He later rebuilt his business empire, securing government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, some of which were awarded without following standard procurement procedures.

Among the most controversial was a contract worth more than US$110 million to supply election materials for Zimbabwe’s August 2023 general elections.

The contract later triggered a bitter fallout between Chivayo and business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe. The pair subsequently accused him of manipulating the judicial system after they were handed lengthy jail sentences over alleged fraud involving a separate tender.

Chivayo’s close relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa gave him access to senior political figures in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the region.

He frequently posted photographs on social media of meetings with Kenyan President William Ruto, Eswatini ruler King Mswati III and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, among other regional leaders.

Wicknell Chivayo seen with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he often referred to as his “principal” Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy standing next to their private jet (PICTURE/Facebook)

In recent years, Chivayo also became known for highly publicised donations to football clubs, churches, politicians, musicians, journalists and social media influencers.

A website tracking his publicly declared donations over the past two years put the value of his handouts at more than US$50.3 million as of Wednesday.

Chivayo’s use of money to gain influence in the ruling Zanu PF party had caused friction between Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, who labelled Chivayo and three other wealthy associates of the president – Scott Sakupwanya, Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Delish Nguwaya – zvigananda, a Shona word for rapacious accumulators.

Wicknell Chivayo photographed with Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi on October 22, 2025 Wicknell Chivayo posing for pictures with King Mswati III at the royal palace on Ezulwini, Eswatini, on June 18, 2026

Chivayo married Lucy Muteke in March 2025 after leaving Sonja Madzikanda, the mother of his two young children in an acrimonious split. Madzikanda insisted that she was married to Chivayo as she laid claim to part of his vast fortune, including a private jet. Chivayo denied the couple were ever married. The matter is yet to be decided.