Mourners descended on Wicknell Chivayo’s family homestead in the upmarket Borrowdale suburb of Harare on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as Zimbabwe came to terms with the loss of one of its most recognisable businessmen.
The rise of Chivayo form dropping out of school to billionaire
Family members, church members and close associates gathered at the residence to pay their final respects to Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, following the couple’s deaths in a fatal helicopter crash.
Chivayo was widely known across Zimbabwe as a philanthropist and flamboyant entrepreneur who rose from humble beginnings to build a business empire worth millions of dollars.
Despite dropping out of school, he accumulated extraordinary wealth and became a prominent public figure, celebrated for his generosity and high-profile lifestyle.
Photograph of Chivayo’s ex with her children
In one striking display of his fortune, a video emerged showing him gifting a Gulfstream private jet. Lucy, his wife, had only recently married Chivayo after he divorced his first spouse.
A photograph of her with her children drew an outpouring of sympathy from Zimbabweans following the tragedy.
Chivayo’s senior security aide speaks
Chivayo’s senior security aide gave an account of the events that unfolded in the moments before the helicopter came down.
Zimbabwean police subsequently released updates revising the death toll as investigations continued.
The scenes at the Borrowdale homestead on Thursday reflected the depth of grief felt by those closest to the couple, with the ZBC News Online Facebook post capturing the sombre mood that had settled over the residence.
