Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has died at the age of 43 following a helicopter crash in Marondera, Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
Chivayo, widely known by his public nickname “Sir Wicknell”, was killed in the crash in Marondera, bringing to an end the life of one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and controversial businessmen.
According to information available on the incident, the helicopter crashed in Marondera at around 17h00 on Wednesday.
Chivayo was born Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo on 22 November 1982 in Chivhu, Zimbabwe. He grew up in the Gandami area of Chivhu, in Mashonaland East, and later attended Dudley Hall Primary School and Churchill Boys High School.
He left school in 1996 and initially worked as a wages clerk at a local bus company before becoming involved in foreign currency trading in Harare.
His business career later saw him establish Intratrek Zimbabwe, a company that secured contracts in Zimbabwe’s energy and infrastructure sectors. He became particularly well known through Intratrek’s involvement in the Gwanda Solar Project.
In 2015, Intratrek was awarded a contract worth approximately US$172 million to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda, Matabeleland South.
The project later became the subject of significant scrutiny after Intratrek received a US$5 million advance payment from the Zimbabwe Power Company without substantive construction work being carried out.
Chivayo faced criminal proceedings connected to the project but was ultimately acquitted in 2024 after the state failed to establish a prima facie case. A separate allegation involving the alleged bribery of former Zimbabwe Power Company board chairman Stanley Kazhanje was also dismissed.
His name also became associated with a number of other high-profile legal and business controversies over the years.
In 2004, Chivayo was convicted of theft by false pretences relating to a foreign currency transaction and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
He was later arrested in 2011 on eight counts of fraud and money laundering, but was acquitted of all the charges following trial.
In 2018, he faced further proceedings relating to alleged mining-equipment fraud and other financial matters. He was subsequently acquitted in separate fraud proceedings.
Despite the controversies surrounding his business dealings, Chivayo remained a highly visible figure in Zimbabwean public life.
He was known for his involvement in major government-linked contracts, his public association with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF, as well as his philanthropic activities.
In 2024, leaked audio recordings also linked Chivayo and associates to a US$100 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission contract involving election materials. Zimbabwe’s Anti-Corruption Commission later investigated the matter and announced in December 2025 that it had found no evidence directly linking Chivayo to the transaction.
Away from his business activities, Chivayo’s personal life also attracted public attention.
He was married to Sonja Madzikanda in 2017 before their divorce in 2024. He subsequently married Lucy Muteke in 2025. He was a father of two children.
Chivayo’s death at 43 marks the sudden end of the life of a businessman whose name became closely associated with Zimbabwe’s energy sector, government tenders, philanthropy and public controversies.
Details surrounding the helicopter crash, including the cause of the accident and whether there were other casualties, should be confirmed by Zimbabwean authorities before being reported as established fact.
Further details about the crash and the circumstances surrounding Chivayo’s death are expected to emerge as authorities investigate the incident.
