HARARE, Zimbabwe — Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have died in a helicopter crash that killed all six people on board, his family has confirmed.
The helicopter crashed in the Marondera rural area, about 70km (43 miles) east of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, at about 17:00 local time on Wednesday.
Police said all six people aboard the aircraft died.
A family spokesperson, Herbert Chivayo, confirmed the deaths of the 43-year-old businessman and his wife to Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster, ZBC, saying the family was devastated by the tragedy.
Government spokesman Nick Mangwana said the helicopter was carrying a prominent businessman, three other passengers and two pilots.
“Current information indicates that there were no survivors in this crash,” Mangwana said in a post on X.
The group was reportedly travelling from Gandami in Chikomba, where Chivayo and his wife were building a rural home, when the helicopter came down at Kudenga Farm about 40 minutes after take-off.
Police said the cause of the crash was not immediately known and that investigations were under way.
Aviation officials arrived at the crash site on Thursday as investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Transport Minister Felix Mhona led officials at the site, where investigators recovered the aircraft’s black box.
George Mashababe, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, said preliminary findings indicated that fuel spilled when the helicopter crashed and was followed by a fire that burnt surrounding grass.
“The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained,” Mashababe said.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight data and other evidence as they seek to establish what caused the crash.
Chivayo was one of Zimbabwe’s most recognisable businessmen, having built a high public profile through government-linked contracts, philanthropy and an extravagant lifestyle frequently displayed on social media.
He was the managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe, a company that secured major government contracts, including a $172m solar power project in Gwanda awarded by the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company.
The Gwanda project became the subject of years of legal disputes.
Chivayo had also faced scrutiny over business dealings and procurement contracts, but he denied allegations of wrongdoing.
His business activities included contracts connected to Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections. The country’s anti-corruption commission investigated allegations surrounding contracts awarded to South African company Ren-Form.
The inquiry was closed in 2025 after the commission said it had found no evidence linking Chivayo or the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to wrongdoing.
Chivayo had previously served several years in prison after being convicted of fraud in 2004.
Despite his controversial public profile, he later became known for his charitable activities and highly publicised gifts.
Widely known as “Sir Wicknell”, although he had no British knighthood, he frequently gave luxury vehicles and large sums of money to musicians, religious leaders and other public figures, often sharing the donations on social media.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa paid tribute to Chivayo, saying he had met the businessman just a day before the crash following a Cabinet meeting.
Mnangagwa said Chivayo had shared some of his plans for Zimbabwe during their meeting.
Describing him as “consummately philanthropic”, the president said Chivayo and his family had touched many lives through their charitable activities.
Mnangagwa said the businessman’s death had left him “personally numbed” and in “great shock”.
Chivayo’s connections extended beyond Zimbabwe, with the businessman frequently sharing photographs of meetings with African leaders.
Kenyan President William Ruto, who had previously appeared publicly with Chivayo, described him as a “dear friend” and sent condolences to the families of those killed.
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“I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent,” Ruto said.
Chivayo had also been photographed with other African leaders, including Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan and Eswatini’s King Mswati III.
His access to prominent political figures, including Ruto, had attracted questions from some Kenyan opposition figures.
The circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash remain under investigation, with authorities yet to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.
The six people aboard the helicopter were killed in the crash.
