Daily · West Post
Wia dis foto come from, Wicknell Chivayo/Instagram Published 2 hours wey don pass Read am in 4 mins Kenya President William Ruto don mourn di passing of Zimbabwe businessman Wicknell Chivayo, togeda wit im wife, Lucy Muteke, wey die for helicopter crash. Di helicopter come down for di Marondera rural area, about 70km (43 miles) east of di capital, Harare, for Wednesday evening. Police say all six pipo on board die.
Family tok tok pesin Herbert Chivayo confam di deaths of di businessman and im wife Lucy Muteke to state broadcaster ZBC, say di family dey devastated by di tragedy. Chivayo dey known for im lavish lifestyle, close ties to some African presidents and lucrative govment contracts wey don repeatedly attracted tok tok. Ruto describe di late businessman as im friend wey don touch di life of odas and e go dey remembered for di good tins wey e don do.
Skip X post Warning: Di BBC no dey responsible for di content of external sites. End of X post According to Zimbabwe Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana, e also confam di incident for statement on X. "Govment wish to confam say helicopter crash don occurred, wey involve one high-profile businessman, three oda passengers, and two pilots." E add say no survivors dey for di crash and di Zimbabwe Republic Police go confam di names of di victims in due course.
Kenya President Ruto say di death na tragic one, and e dey sad say e happun. "I dey deeply saddened by di tragic passing of my friend, Wicknell Chivayo, togeda wit im wife, Lucy Muteke, and di oda lives lost for di helicopter crash for Zimbabwe," Ruto tok. "Dia sudden departure na painful loss to dia families, friends and all wey sabi dem.
Wicknell na my dear friend wey touch many pipo. I go rememba am for im friendship, im energy and im deep conviction in di possibilities of our continent." Ruto send im condolences to di families of all dose wey lost dia lives, 'President Mnangagwa, di pipo of Zimbabwe and everione wey dey mourn dis tragic loss' Local media ZBC report say di group dey travel from Gandami for Chikomba, wia Chivayo and im wife dey build rural home, wen di helicopter crash for Kudenga Farm about 40 minutes afta take-off. Who be Wicknell Chivayo Chivayo na di managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe and e don build high public profile through govment contracts, philanthropy and display of wealth for social media.
Among im big business na di $172m (£128m) solar power project for Gwanda wey di state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company Intratrek, award to am. Di project cause legal dispute for many years ova how dem go implement am. E still dey face scrutiny ova di procurement of materials for 2023 Zimbabwe elections.
Zimbabwe anti-corruption commission don investigate allegations wey dey surround contracts awarded to South African company Ren-Form, but dem close di inquiry for 2025, dem tok say dem no find any evidence wey go link Chivayo or di Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to any wrongdoing. Chivayo dey give away luxury cars and large sum of money to musicians, religious leaders and oda public figures, and e dey post di gifts ontop social media. Im connections no stop for Zimbabwe alone.
Kenya President William Ruto, wey don appear wit Chivayo bifor, tok say na im friend inside one tribute afta Chivayo die and e send condolences to di families of di people wey die. Zicknell Chivayo dey frequently publicise im access to African leaders, posting fotographs of meetings wit presidents including Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, as well as Eswatini King Mswati III.
Source: BBC
