Nationwide — Wicknell Chivayo, billionaire tycoon from Zimbabwe, and his wife Lucy Muteke were among six people killed when a helicopter crashed in rural Zimbabwe on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The aircraft went down near Marondera, about 70 kilometers east of the capital, Harare. Police and government officials confirmed there were no survivors as investigators began working to determine what caused the crash.
The helicopter crashed around 5 p.m. near Kudenga Farm, about 40 minutes after taking off from Gandami in Chikomba. Chivayo and Muteke had been in the area while working on a rural home they were building. Government spokesman Nick Mangwana said the helicopter was carrying the businessman, three other passengers and two pilots. Emergency crews responded after the crash, where spilled fuel ignited and burned grass around the wreckage.
According to BBC, investigators recovered the helicopter’s black box on Thursday as aviation officials examined the crash site. George Mashababe, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, said preliminary findings showed that fuel spilled when the helicopter struck the ground and was followed by a fire. Officials have not said what caused the aircraft to lose control or crash. Forensic teams were also working to formally identify the victims.
Chivayo, 43, had built a high-profile business career through government contracts and his role as managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe. He became known across Zimbabwe for his lavish lifestyle, charitable donations and social media posts featuring expensive gifts to musicians, religious leaders and other public figures. He also regularly used the name “Sir Wicknell,” although he was never awarded a British knighthood. His public profile grew further through photographs and appearances with political leaders from Zimbabwe and other African countries.
His business dealings also attracted scrutiny over the years. Intratrek received a contract worth about $172 million for the Gwanda Solar Project, a planned 100-megawatt power plant that later became involved in lengthy legal and contractual disputes. Court rulings kept the contract in force, and the Zimbabwe Power Company issued a notice in September 2026 allowing Intratrek to resume work on the project. Separately, Zimbabwe’s Anti-Corruption Commission investigated allegations involving the procurement of materials for the country’s 2023 elections. The commission closed that investigation in 2025, saying it found no evidence directly linking Chivayo or the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the alleged wrongdoing.
News of Chivayo’s death prompted condolences from political leaders in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he had met with the businessman just one day before the crash and expressed shock over his sudden death. Kenya’s President William Ruto, who had appeared publicly with Chivayo before, also offered condolences and described him as a friend. Chivayo had frequently shared photographs from meetings with African leaders, including officials from Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Tanzania, giving him a public profile that extended beyond Zimbabwe.