Chivayo was one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and controversial businessmen, gaining a huge public profile through his lavish lifestyle, philanthropy and close relationships with senior political leaders.
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, will be buried without their heads after the remains could not be recovered from the wreckage of the helicopter crash that killed them last week.
The couple will be laid to rest side by side at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare on Thursday, October 8, according to family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo. The burial will be open to members of the public, allowing friends, business associates and other mourners to pay their last respects.
Herbert said the bodies were severely burned in the crash and the subsequent fire, making recovery and identification of some body parts difficult.
“The bodies were burnt until the fire died on its own, so you can imagine what the status is like,” Herbert said.
The family has also said there will be no traditional body viewing before the burial because of the condition of the remains. Forensic examinations and DNA testing were conducted to identify the victims and match the recovered remains to their respective families.
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Crash killed five
Chivayo, 43, and Muteke died on September 30 when their Bell 430 helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera, southeast of Harare.
The aircraft caught fire after the impact. Zimbabwe’s Civil Aviation Authority said fuel spilled following the crash and ignited, although the exact cause of the accident had not been established. An intact black box was recovered from the wreckage and is expected to assist investigators in determining what happened.
Police subsequently said five people had died in the crash, including the couple, two pilots and a security aide. The pilots were identified as Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa, while Lucy’s aide, Senelisiwe Magagula, was also among the victims.
Initial reports had indicated that six people were aboard the helicopter, but subsequent police information put the number of occupants who died at five.
The crash occurred about 40 minutes after the helicopter had taken off from Gandami in Chikomba, where Chivayo and his wife were reportedly building their rural home. A separate helicopter travelling in the same area was also reportedly affected by bad weather around the time of the crash.
A businessman who divided opinion
Chivayo was one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and controversial businessmen, gaining a huge public profile through his lavish lifestyle, philanthropy and close relationships with senior political leaders.
He frequently posted photographs and videos of himself with African presidents and other influential figures, including Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Kenyan President William Ruto and other regional leaders. His social media presence also featured luxury vehicles, private aircraft, expensive watches and large cash and vehicle donations to celebrities, religious figures and members of the public.
His business interests included energy and infrastructure projects. He was the managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe, which was involved in a major solar power project awarded by the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company.
However, his business dealings and political connections also attracted scrutiny and allegations concerning government contracts and public procurement. Chivayo consistently denied wrongdoing, while some investigations and allegations against him were subsequently dismissed or did not result in convictions.
His public profile extended beyond Zimbabwe. He cultivated relationships with several African heads of state, and his death has prompted reactions from political and business circles across the continent. President Mnangagwa described him as a friend, while President Ruto also publicly mourned him.
Chivayo’s death has therefore drawn widespread attention not only because of the circumstances of the crash but also because of the unusual public life of a businessman who had become a familiar figure in African political and social circles.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s investigation into the crash is continuing, with the recovered black box expected to provide investigators with further information on the aircraft’s final moments.
