Wicknell Chivayo marked his 45th birthday with his most extravagant display of wealth yet, spending over US$5.3 million in a single day while holidaying in Seychelles. He flew to the Indian Ocean archipelago on his private Bombardier Challenger 300 jet and used social media to showcase the scale of his latest giveaways, which included luxury vehicles, large sums of cash and buses.
For his birthday, he pledged six top-of-the-range Toyota Land Cruisers to leaders of Zanu PF’s women’s league and promised US$500,000 to be shared across the league’s 10 provincial structures. He also committed to buying 10 Toyota Hilux GD6s for provincial women’s league leaders, along with six more Hiluxes and an additional US$100,000 for the Zanu PF affiliate Young Women 4 ED. Beyond the political donations, he gifted ten 75-seater buses—each worth US$210,000—to the Johanne Masowe Church women’s group. He also gave a bus to John Landa Nkomo Secondary School in Tsholotsho and another to Dudley Hall Primary School in Norton, where he began his education.
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Chivayo spent his birthday relaxing at a five-star resort in Seychelles with his wife, Lulu, as shown in his social media posts.
Chivayo, who has made millions through state contracts whose full details have never been publicly disclosed, has spent more than US$70 million in the past 24 months on cars, houses and cash gifts to celebrities, Zanu PF politicians, church members, social media personalities and even randomly selected people in need, according to an analysis of his posts. However, Saturday’s celebration is believed to be his costliest single-day expenditure so far.
Despite speculation surrounding the origins of his wealth and his close proximity to power, highlighted by meetings with presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Uganda , President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this year dismissed claims that Chivayo was fronting for him, insisting he has no role in the businessman’s riches and describing him merely as “philanthropic.”
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