Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been killed in a helicopter crash that claimed six lives in the Marondera area, east of Harare.
The helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm at about 5 pm local time on Wednesday, shortly after taking off from Gandami in Chikomba, where the couple was reportedly building a rural home.
Police said all six people aboard the aircraft died, including two pilots.
The deaths of Chivayo, 43, and his wife were confirmed by the family through Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster, ZBC.
The crash has drawn widespread attention in Zimbabwe because of Chivayo’s high public profile and extensive business and political connections.
Government spokesman Nick Mangwana said the helicopter was carrying a prominent businessman, three other passengers and two pilots, adding that there were no survivors.
The cause of the crash remained unknown as of Thursday, with aviation authorities beginning a formal investigation.
Transport Minister Felix Mhona and other aviation officials visited the crash site on Thursday, 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 struck the ground before a fire spread through the surrounding grass.
“The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained,” Mashababe said.
Chivayo, widely known as Sir Wicknell, was a prominent figure in Zimbabwe’s business and social circles and became particularly known for his lavish lifestyle and philanthropy.
He was managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe, which secured a $172m solar power project in Gwanda from the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company. The project subsequently became embroiled in prolonged legal disputes.
Chivayo had also faced scrutiny over business dealings and contracts, including allegations linked to the procurement of materials for Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections. An investigation by the country’s anti-corruption commission was closed in 2025 after it said it found no evidence linking him or the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to wrongdoing.
He had previously served a prison sentence after being convicted of fraud in 2004 but later built a prominent business career.
His wealth and public profile grew through his businesses, charitable donations and social media posts showing him giving luxury vehicles and large sums of money to musicians, religious figures and other public personalities.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed shock over Chivayo’s death, saying he had met the businessman only a day before the crash.
Mnangagwa said Chivayo and his family had touched many lives through their charitable activities.
Kenyan President William Ruto also paid tribute to Chivayo, describing him as a friend and expressing condolences to the families of those killed.
Chivayo had cultivated relationships with several African leaders and had publicly shared photographs of meetings with presidents including Ruto, Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, as well as Eswatini’s King Mswati III.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s black box and other evidence as they work to determine what caused the crash.
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