Chivayo cut a comical figure as he tried to gate crash the Dangote meeting for a photo op

For once, Zimbabwe’s king of VIP selfies met a photo-op that refused to co-operate. In street lingo: “shot reipapo rakaramba.”

This past week, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa hosted Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote at State House for a much-hyped US$1 billion investment pitch, Wicknell Chivayo reportedly tried to do what he does best — slide into the frame. According to online reports citing State House officials, Chivayo was not on the official guest list but still pitched up and attempted to muscle his way into the meeting for that all-important picture. Security is said to have blocked him, and the meeting went ahead without him.

For a man who has built an entire political persona on being photographed next to power, the missing picture with Dangote may be his most revealing image yet.

Serial Pic Diplomacy

On his social media, Wicknell has long turned high-level access into a running soapie. He has posed with President Emmerson Mnangagwa countless times, from airport welcomes to informal family-style shots. Mnangagwa’s successes have been seriously eroded by corruption and proximity of shady characters to the presidency.

Looking closely at the pictures that Chivayo’s pictures paint:

• Kenya: Chivayo has tried to present himself as President William Ruto’s continental pal, complete with State House images and safari outings with his then new partner, now wife, Lily. Ruto’s leadership is riddled with suppressed protests and an underperforming economy.

• Malawi: Wicknell’s proclaimed pal, Lazarus Chakwera, is now former president — voted out after a scandal-riddled tenure. Chakwera’s London episode, where he took an entourage including his daughter to attend a virtual meeting, became emblematic of his time in power. His successor, 85-year-old Peter Mutharika, brings his own baggage from his previous term, such as the infamous “police food rations” scandal, in which a contractor deposited 145 million kwacha into a ruling party account under his sole signatory.

• Tanzania: President Samia Suluhu Hassan has just secured a second term in a poll the African Union says did not meet democratic standards. Ballot-stuffing allegations, internet blackouts and lethal crackdowns on protesters have plunged the country into its worst post-election violence in two decades.

• Zambia: After posting a picture with Edgar Lungu previously, this week Chivayo had  current president Hakainde Hichilema in the frame. HH’s early optimism has curdled into public frustration. On 8 November, youths in Chingola stoned him off a podium, forcing him to abandon his address. HH’s administration has faced its own corruption allegations, including a reported US$21 million kickback involving a Kenyan contractor.

So, when Sir Wicknell beams from these photo-ops, he isn’t just borrowing prestige — he is standing in the reflected glare of leaders grappling with corruption accusations, governance failures and fading popularity.

Where the Doors Don’t Open: Dangote, Namibia, Beijing

Against this backdrop, the Dangote snub hits differently.

Coverage of the incident describes a man desperate for the prestige shot that would elevate him from regional hanger-on to continental heavyweight. Undenied claims suggest Chivayo tried to use a false business pretext to get into the room — and failed.

It fits into a larger pattern of places where proximity politics simply does not work.

China — The Staff Badge Moment

Wicknell failed to find any significant photo op in China and was forced to reduce himself to posturing.

President Mnangagwa travelled to Beijing in early September 2025 for the 80th anniversary commemorations of China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, culminating in a massive military parade on Chang’an Avenue and a formal meeting with President Xi Jinping.

Pro-Zanu PF accounts proudly posted that “Sir Wicknell is among ED’s delegation in China.” One viral Threads post even highlighted his accreditation badge — “STAFF / 工作人员” — a flex for fans, but a clear confirmation that he was present only as entourage, at the level of the security detail and administrative assistants.

To worsen the optics, a widely shared Facebook post claimed Chivayo had been denied a request to be photographed with global military leaders during the parade — a claim he has not addressed.

Mozambique — The Politely Closed Door

Chivayo has also circulated a photo with Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo. But Chapo is the anti-Wicknell: a disciplined, policy-first technocrat who detests flamboyance. Since taking office in January 2025, he has focused on cleaning up procurement, stabilising Cabo Delgado, and restoring investor confidence.

Maputo treated Chivayo as a tourist, not a stakeholder. No follow-ups. No invitations. No validation. Mozambique politely declined to be part of the Wicknell show.

Namibia — The Netumbo Firewall

Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who took office in March 2025, has been praised for her straightforward governance style. Although Chivayo’s name surfaced in Namibian media over the controversial Ren-Form ballot procurement saga, Nandi-Ndaitwah never entertained him — not even for a courtesy smile. Her swift firing of Deputy PM Natangwe Ithete in October for defying an oil licensing moratorium sent a clear message: no proximity theatrics, no tolerance for side-door deals.

Politically Exposed, Commercially Unproven

Chivayo with Yoweri Museveni of Uganda

None of this would matter if Chivayo had a solid industrial track record. But his business CV is exactly why serious investors hesitate.

• Intratrek Zimbabwe received a multi-million-dollar advance for the Gwanda Solar Project that never materialised for years, turning the site into a national meme.
• Investigations by outlets such as The Africa Report have linked him — via Ren-Form — to overpriced election material contracts, raising alarms in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
• His public persona, built on gifting luxury cars to musicians, pastors and political allies, reinforces the perception of a man skilled at performing wealth, not building audited enterprise.

In compliance language, this is a classic PEP problem — a politically exposed person with an uneven legal history, controversial contracts, and a hyper-visible lifestyle that frightens off serious capital.

Why the Picture Matters

The “picture that never was” with Dangote is a clear demonstration of  the limits of selfie-driven politics.

There is a level of business — Lagos refineries, Beijing parades, billion-dollar equity — where Instagram clout and being “Baba’s favourite businessman” simply do not qualify you.

Investors want:

• contracts that withstand scrutiny,
• projects that actually switch on,
• and compliance files that don’t explode in due diligence.

Wicknell can keep posting airport runways, motorcades and staff badges. But as long as the most important images are the ones he cannot get — Dangote in Harare, Xi’s principals in Beijing, Netumbo in Windhoek — his brand remains that of a loud, politically exposed orbiting satellite.

If he truly wants to “join the big boys,” the next iconic image he needs is not another presidential hug. It is a drone shot over a functioning power station, a factory employing thousands, or a clean audit of a regional project he actually delivered.

Until then, the most honest portrait of Wicknell Chivayo will remain the one the world never saw.