Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has mourned businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, following a helicopter crash that killed them and other people on board.
The helicopter crashed in the Marondera area, east of Harare, on Wednesday, September 30. Authorities said there were no survivors. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
In a condolence message issued on Thursday, Mnangagwa said the deaths had left him and the nation in shock.
“The sudden and unexpected tragic passing on of Mr and Mrs Chivayo… left our Nation, my family, and me personally numbed and in deep shock and grief,” he said.
Mnangagwa described Chivayo as a businessman who had supported charitable causes across Zimbabwe and said his generosity had reached people in politics, religion, public service, culture and sport.
Mnangagwa Recalls Final Meeting With Chivayo
The president said he had met Chivayo after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, a day before the crash.
According to Mnangagwa, Chivayo spoke to him about plans he had for Zimbabwe, particularly projects aimed at helping disadvantaged people and war veterans.
“He shared with me some of these grand plans only this last Tuesday after our Cabinet meeting, just a day before his tragic end,” Mnangagwa said.
He also linked Chivayo’s work in rural Chikomba to Zimbabwe’s wider rural development agenda.
The president said the couple had been returning from Gandami, where they had been involved in construction work, when the helicopter crashed.
Crash Investigation Continue
The crash occurred in rural Marondera after the helicopter had travelled from the Gandami area. Zimbabwean authorities have confirmed that everyone aboard died.
There have been differing early accounts about the number of people aboard the aircraft. Police and international reports have cited six occupants, while a security aide travelling in a separate helicopter gave journalists a different account. The discrepancy has not been resolved publicly.
Aviation authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. No definitive cause has been established.
Mnangagwa offered his condolences to the Chivayo family and the relatives of the other victims.
“We mourn with and stand by them in this hour of deep, inconsolable grief and pain,” he said.
Chivayo was a prominent Zimbabwean businessman known for his charitable donations and links to senior political figures. His death has prompted tributes from leaders and members of the public.
The investigation into the crash is continuing.
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