OCT 9 – Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, who died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, Lucy Muteke, last week, divided opinion during his life and continues to do so even after his death.

📻 Breaking It Down

He called himself “Sir Wicknell”, a nickname that reflected his extravagant lifestyle. The 45-year-old accumulated enough controversy during his relatively short life to last several lifetimes.

Chivayo meticulously documented his lifestyle, building much of his public persona on social media, where he posed with bundles of cash and announced the cars and money he was giving to people he said deserved them.

He frequently showcased his access to African heads of state and flaunted his possessions, conducting video tours of his fleet of expensive cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, complete with personalised number plates. He also displayed his watches and extensive collection of designer shoes.

📌 What You Need to Know

His admirers saw a wealthy man sharing his good fortune. His detractors disliked the ostentatious displays, questioned the sources of his wealth and his political connections, and viewed his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.

The criticism did little to deter Chivayo. As his fortune grew, he continued to flaunt his wealth in a country where nearly half the population lives below the international poverty line, according to the World Bank.

“He gave to those on an island of wealth in a sea of poverty,” Pedzisai Ruhanya, director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute think-tank, told the BBC, explaining that Chivayo’s donations largely benefited influential people.

Ruhanya dismissed the generosity as grandstanding on behalf of the ruling Zanu-PF party, arguing that it was an attempt to secure the support of key politicians and even church leaders.

Yet Chivayo was mourned after his death, particularly by those who had benefited from his money. Politicians, religious leaders and business figures also paid tribute to him.

Among those gathered at his palatial home in the capital, Harare, ahead of his burial alongside his wife on Thursday was Cleopas Mukungunugwa, a prominent young Zanu-PF social media influencer who had received two luxury cars from Sir Wicknell.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya