Zimbabwe businessman Wicknell Chivayo killed in helicopter crash

The high-profile businessman known for his political connections was one of six people killed in the crash.

Wicknell Chivayo and Kenyan President William Ruto [Courtesy of Wicknell Chivayo via Instagram]

Wicknell Chivayo, one of Zimbabwe’s best-known businessmen, has died along with his wife, Lucy Muteke, and four others after a private helicopter crashed in a rural area east of the capital, Harare.

State broadcaster ZBC reported that the group of six had set off on Wednesday from Gandami, a rural area in Chikomba district where Chivayo grew up and where he and his wife were building a home.

list 1 of 3 Can Zimbabwe’s mineral ambitions benefit smaller producers?

list 2 of 3 Zimbabwe minibus carrying church members crashes, killing at least 27

list 3 of 3 Hakainde Hichilema sworn in as Zambia’s president after disputed election

The helicopter crashed about 40 minutes after takeoff at Kudenga Farm near Marondera, a town about 70km (45 miles) southeast of Harare. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said on X that there were “no survivors”.

Herbert Chivayo, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed the deaths to ZBC.

Forensic experts and investigators were sent to the site on Thursday morning, according to Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald. Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona was among the senior officials expected to visit.

George Mashababe, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, said early indications were that the helicopter’s tail hit the ground first. He told The Herald the impact caused fuel to spill, and that the resulting fire followed the fuel across the ground.

Mashababe said the inquiry was ongoing and that a full statement would be issued later.

Chivayo, who was in his 40s, was the founder of Intratrek Zimbabwe, a company involved in major energy projects, including the long-delayed 100-megawatt Gwanda solar project.

His ambitions extended beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. In June, King Mswati III granted him Eswatini citizenship and a diplomatic passport, after which Chivayo announced plans for a 300MW solar project in the Southern African kingdom.

He was equally known for his public persona. Styling himself “Sir Wicknell”, he chronicled his lavish lifestyle on social media, where posts about luxury purchases and gifts to friends drew both admiration and criticism. A 2025 report in the Zimbabwean newspaper The Standard said he had spent about $9.3m on vehicles and other gifts for his associates.

He also cultivated close ties with politicians and influential figures across Africa.

Kenyan President William Ruto paid tribute to Chivayo as “a dear friend whose warmth touched many people”. Writing on X, he said he would remember Chivayo for his friendship, energy and belief in what the African continent could achieve. Ruto also offered his condolences to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the people of the country.

这位以政治关系闻名的知名商人是此次空难中六名遇难者之一。

威克内尔·奇瓦约 (Wicknell Chivayo) 和肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托 [Wicknell Chivayo via Instagram 提供]

津巴布韦最知名的商人之一威克内尔·奇瓦约 (Wicknell Chivayo) 与他的妻子露西·穆特克 (Lucy Muteke) 以及其他四人在首都哈拉雷以东的农村地区乘坐私人直升机坠毁后身亡。

国家广播公司 ZBC 报道称，这六人于周三从奇孔巴区农村地区甘达米出发，奇瓦约在那里长大，他和妻子正在那里建造房屋。

列表 1/3：津巴布韦的矿业雄心能否惠及小型生产商？

津巴布韦一辆载有教会成员的小巴发生车祸，造成至少27人死亡（共3条记录，此为第2条）

名单3/3：哈凯恩德·希奇莱马在争议性选举后宣誓就任赞比亚总统

直升机起飞约40分钟后在库登加农场附近坠毁，该农场位于马龙德拉镇附近，距离哈拉雷东南约70公里（45英里）。政府发言人尼克·曼格瓦纳在X电视台表示，“无人生还”。

家族发言人赫伯特·奇瓦约向津巴布韦广播公司证实了这一死讯。

据津巴布韦《先驱报》报道，法医专家和调查人员于周四上午被派往现场。交通和基础设施发展部长费利克斯·姆霍纳是预计前往视察的高级官员之一。

津巴布韦民航局局长乔治·马沙巴贝表示，初步迹象表明直升机尾部先触地。他告诉《先驱报》，撞击导致燃油泄漏，随后引发的火灾沿着燃油蔓延至地面。

马沙巴贝表示，调查仍在进行中，稍后将发表完整声明。

当时 40 多岁的奇瓦约是 Intratrek Zimbabwe 的创始人，该公司参与了多个大型能源项目，其中包括长期延误的 100 兆瓦 Gwanda 太阳能项目。

他的雄心壮志远不止于津巴布韦国界。今年6月，姆斯瓦蒂三世国王授予他斯威士兰公民身份和外交护照，之后奇瓦约宣布计划在这个南部非洲王国建设一个300兆瓦的太阳能项目。

他同样以其公众形象而闻名。他自称“威克内尔爵士”，在社交媒体上详细记录自己奢靡的生活方式，发布的奢侈品购物和赠送礼物给朋友的照片引发了赞赏和批评。津巴布韦报纸《标准报》2025年的一篇报道称，他花费了约930万美元用于购买车辆和其他礼物赠送给亲信。

他还与非洲各地的政治家和有影响力的人物建立了密切联系。

肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托向奇瓦约致敬，称他是一位“挚友，他的热情温暖了许多人”。鲁托在推特上发文表示，他将永远铭记奇瓦约的友谊、活力以及他对非洲大陆未来成就的信念。鲁托还向津巴布韦总统埃默森·姆南加古瓦和津巴布韦人民表示慰问。