Wicknell Chivayo Dies in Helicopter Crash in Zimbabwe With Wife Lucy Muteke, Family Confirms

• Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed a helicopter carrying six occupants crashed in Marondera rural on Wednesday evening, September 30
• Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke were among the fatalities in the crash
• Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo broke the news, saying the family was struggling to process the tragic loss

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Wicknell Chivayo, one of Zimbabwe's most prominent and recognisable businessmen, died on Wednesday evening, September 30, after a private helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Marondera rural, a district in Mashonaland East Province. His wife, Lucy Muteke, also perished in the accident.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the crash took place and that the aircraft had six occupants on board at the time. No immediate information was released regarding the identities or conditions of the other passengers.

Family Breaks Silence on Chivayo's Death

Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed the deaths of both Wicknell and Lucy in a statement to ZBC News, Zimbabwe's national broadcaster based in Harare. He described the family as completely overwhelmed by the news.

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"We are at a loss of words after the tragic incident," Herbert told the broadcaster.

His statement was among the first official responses from those close to the businessman and served to confirm that both Wicknell Chivayo and Lucy Muteke had died in the crash.

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Who Was Wicknell Chivayo?

Wicknell Chivayo was a deeply influential and at times controversial figure in Zimbabwe's business landscape. He was widely known for his extravagant lifestyle and cultivated close relationships with prominent figures across the country's political and social circles. His death marks the loss of one of the most publicly visible personalities in contemporary Zimbabwean public life.

Commissioner Nyathi's statement placed the crash site firmly in Marondera rural, though the Zimbabwe Republic Police had not immediately released details about the cause of the crash or the circumstances surrounding the flight at the time of reporting.

Wicknell's ex-wife receives $5M in divorce settlement

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a Zimbabwean High Court has ordered flamboyant businessman and billionaire Sir Wicknell Chivayo to pay his ex-wife, Sonja Louise Madzikanda, a $5 million lump sum as part of a divorce settlement that has drawn widespread public attention.

The ruling also awarded her additional benefits, including a house and structured custody arrangements, bringing an end to a long-running legal dispute that had frequently played out in the public domain.

Sir Wicknell and Sonja Madzikanda met and tied the knot in 2017 after he visited her family home for a traditional ceremony, and they separated in 2024, the same year that claims surfaced that the businessman had remarried.

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Source: YEN.com.gh