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SearchWicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died when a helicopter crashed on a farm in Marondera. Initial reports said there were six people on board and no survivors; a later report by Clarín attributed a toll of five dead to the police.
A helicopter crashed on Wednesday on a farm in the rural area of Marondera, in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East province, about 70 kilometers from Harare. Among the victims were businessman Wicknell Chivayo, 43, and his wife, Lucy Muteke, 35, as Herbert Chivayo, a family spokesperson, confirmed to the press.
The toll reported in the first hours differed from the one that appeared in later reports. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi initially said the aircraft was carrying six people, and government spokesperson Nick Mangwana stated that there were no survivors. Later, Clarín attributed a toll of five dead to the police, identifying them as Chivayo, Muteke, security guard Saneliswe Magagula, and pilots Calvin Tafirei Soda and Courage Mutavirwa.
By contrast, a later report by O Globo described the tragedy as an accident with six victims. The available reports therefore do not provide a consistent count: initial statements and subsequent publications differ on the number of people who died. The toll of five dead that Clarín attributes to the police does not match all reports.
According to Clarín, forensic and aviation experts inspected the wreckage to investigate the circumstances of the crash. The sources provided do not establish a confirmed cause. The outlet reported that investigators suspected the aircraft may have gone down after a fire, but that possibility is not equivalent to an official finding.
There were also conflicting accounts concerning the care and custody of the bodies. Clarín reported Herbert Chivayo’s complaint that the bodies remained at the scene overnight and that some animals might have attacked them. Opposition figure and lawyer Fadzayi Mahere questioned the delay in removing them. These are claims attributed to those individuals; the available material does not include an official determination confirming them.
Chivayo ran Intratrek Zimbabwe, an engineering, procurement, and construction company, and was known for his ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party. He had also attracted attention for displaying his wealth and for the high-value gifts he gave to entertainment figures, sports organizations, and others.
El Mundo reported that investigations by Zimbabwean media estimated he spent more than 9.3 million dollars on luxury cars and gifts between 2024 and 2025. That figure describes what those media outlets reported and, on its own, provides no information about the cause of the crash.
After the tragedy, Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his condolences over the deaths of Chivayo, Muteke, and the other victims. Mnangagwa also expressed his sorrow, according to Clarín’s report. The aviation investigation was still ongoing in the reports consulted; no definitive cause had been announced.
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