Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed and killed Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke, has been laid to rest in Marondera.
Soda was buried on Sunday, October 4, 2026, following a memorial service held on Saturday, October 3, at Doves Funeral Services in Harare, where family members, friends and former colleagues gathered to pay their final respects.
Final send-off
The pilot’s final journey came days after the helicopter crash that claimed five lives at Kudenga Farm in Marondera Rural on Wednesday, September 30.
Soda was among those killed alongside Chivayo, his wife Lucy, co-pilot Captain Courage Matavirwa and Lucy’s aide, Senelisiwe Magagula.
His remains were identified through forensic and DNA procedures following the crash, with reports indicating that the post-crash fire severely damaged the bodies.
Remembered as a unifier
Those who knew Soda remembered him as a hardworking family man and dedicated aviator who was also known for bringing people together.
“He was a unifier, a hard worker, a family man and a dedicated aviator,” mourners said, according to Zimbabwe’s national broadcaster ZBC.
Soda is survived by his wife, Shamiso, and their three children.
Crash investigation
The burial comes as investigations into the helicopter crash continue.
The aircraft went down at Kudenga Farm in Marondera Rural, about 70 kilometres east of Harare, after the group had travelled from Gandami in Chikomba, where Chivayo had been overseeing construction work on a rural home.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the crash, with preliminary observations indicating that the helicopter struck the ground before a fuel spill and fire.
Meanwhile, Chivayo and Muteke are scheduled to be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare on Thursday, October 8. The burial will be open to members of the public who wish to pay their last respects.
