Wicknell Chivayo burial: Why dem love and hate Zimbabwe tycoon for Africa

But di criticisms no shake Chivayo. As im fortunes rise, e continue to flaunt im wealth inside kontri wia nearly half of di population dey live below di international poverty line, according to di World Bank.

“E bin give to dose on an island of wealth in a sea of poverty,” Pedzisai Ruhanya, director of di Zimbabwe Democracy Institute think-tank, tell di BBC, as e explain how im donations na mainly to influential pipo.

E dismiss Chivayo generosity as grandstanding for di ruling Zanu-PF party – an attempt to ensure di support of key politicians and even church leaders.

But pipo mourn am wen e kpai, especially pipo wey benefit from im money. Tributes also come from politicians, religious leaders and business figures.

Among di mourners wey gada for di Chivayo big mansion for di capital, Harare, ahead of im and im wife burial on Thursday, na Cleopas Mukungunugwa, wey be young and prominent Zanu-PF social media influencer and recipient of two luxury cars from Sir Wicknell.

“Many pipo on social media criticise am and our goal na to boost im reputation as philanthropist,” e tok.

Chivayo drop out of high school wen im bin dey 15 years becos im family no fit pay im fees afta im papa die wen im bin dey 10 years.

Im first job na wage clerk for bus company. From dia im move into im first independent hustle – to sell mobile phones and deal in foreign currency, many times for di black market wen im kontri bin dey face hyperinflation crisis.

For 2005, dem bin sentence am to five years in prison for money laundering wey involve 837,000 South African rand (wey bin worth $137,500, £72,000 dat time). Im bin serve three years for di Chikurubi Maximum Prison afta dem suspend two years.

Details of im career afta dem release am no dey too clear, but im bin enta di energy business, as im becom wetin one state-run newspaper describe as “tenderpreneur” -e dey make money by getting govment contracts.

Im bin head di firm Intratrek Zimbabwe, wey bin partner wit Chinese electrical giant CHiNT Electric. E bin happun for di time wen di law bin require all companies for di kontri to give economic control to black Zimbabweans, under one policy known as indigenisation.

For 2014, dem bin give Intratrek contract to build 100MW solar power station for di southern town of Gwanda. Di contract worth more dan $170m and dem bin sign am di following year. E becom one of di biggest controversies of Chivayo business career.

Zimbabwe Power Company, di state-owned utility wey bin award di contract, bin try to end am wen Intratrek bin fail to deliver, but di courts ultimately rule say di agreement still dey valid.

Parliamentary inquiry later describe Intratrek as “briefcase company” wey dem dey use to attract investment.

Chivayo bin acknowledge say Intratrek no be expert for solar construction, dem describe am as di local partner while CHiNT bin provide di technical muscle.

Intratrek bin receive advance of more dan $5m for di Gwanda solar plant, but dem no build am till today.

Just weeks bifor Chivayo die, Intratrek bin receive one govment notice to proceed wit di project and dem bin give dem 24 months to complete am.

As di accusations fly upandan, di businessman just smile, e use sweet-mouth tok im way through di wahala – e even win ova President Emmerson Mnangagwa, wey bin no dey happy wit wetin im dey do wen im first enta power.

For 2018, Mnangagwa cite Gwanda as lesson and di dangers of doing business wit “fly-by-night briefcase businessmen”. E add say “Chikurubi no dey full”. Di state-run Herald newspaper bin report say di warning bin dey directed at Chivayo.

Yet within few years, dat relationship transform into bromance. Several fotos wey capture dem togeda show say Chivayo dey free anytime e dey wit Mnangagwa.

Im access no dey confined to Zanu-PF – im also post fotos wit opposition figures, including di late Morgan Tsvangirai and Nelson Chamisa.

But e becom popular presence around Mnangagwa, and dey tok beta tin about di president and, e no dey hide im support for Zanu-PF.

Im bin face allegations ova buying of materials for di 2023 elections, wia Mnangagwa bin enta for im second term.

Investigations allege say South African supplier Ren-Form grossly bin increase di prices and subsequently pay hundreds of millions of rand to one company wey dey linked to am.

Chivayo deny wrongdoing, and Zimbabwe anti-corruption commission later tok say dem no find evidence wey dey link am to procurement fraud. Ren-Form deny any wrongdoing.

For April, im bin give di kontri 360 legislators $10,000 each, wey bin prompt accusations say im bin wan influence vote on controversial constitutional amendment to extend wetin for be Mnangagwa final five-year term by two years to 2030.

Dem force am to withdraw di offer afta backlash and e bin deny say dem intend to influence di vote.

Wen di legislation bin sign am into law several months later, Zanu-PF bin post video clip of am wit di caption: “Billionaire Sir Wicknell Chivayo celebrates… singing ‘2030 Ndeya Emmerson Baba!’ while cruising at 51,000 feet aboard his Gulfstream G550”.

Access to power becom part of Chivayo social-media persona. For June, Eswatini King Mswati III bin grant am citizenship of di southern African kingdom and diplomatic passport – fotos and videos show wia e bin dey kneel bifor di monarch.

Im bin get impressive camera roll, wit snaps of am wen e dey pose wit oda African presidents like Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Malawi President Peter Mutharika, Mozambique President Daniel Chapo, Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema and im bin dey part of di delegation wey bin meet South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa wen im bin visit Mnangagwa farm earlier dis year.

Some relationships bin extend beyond formal meetings. For August, Chivayo and im wife attend di engagement of Kenya President William Ruto daughter Charlene for di president family home.

But for Kenya, dem bin view di Zimbabwean businessman wit great suspicion becos of im closeness to Ruto – somtin wey Kenyans bin express loudly on social media since im death.

“As a Kenyan, I distance mysef completely from President Ruto glowing tribute to Wicknell Chivayo. Dose condolences and dat ‘dear friend’ language na im own, no be my own, as a Kenyan,” Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi tok.

One commentator on X bin tok say di death bin “unit Africans in celebration”.

“Wen a man death bring more relief dan sorrow, di reaction itsef tell a powerful story. Na time for dose in power to reflect and re-evaluate!”

Meanwhile some pipo dey against di pipo wey dey tok bad tins about di dead as dem say e dey un-African – as di topic of di tycoon death still be trending topic for Zimbabwe dis days.

For shopping centre for Harare ova di weekend, Christabel Moyo voice wetin many pipo bin dey tok.

“Wetin be African – to make you rich from increasing state contracts and use di money to support Zanu-PF?” di 42-year-old accountant ask.

“Im bin dey busy dey give out cars and cash to di rich while di Zimbabwean public health system dey collapse.”

Di extraordinary gifting spree wey dem go remember am for start around 2023. Musicians, sports and business figures, politicians and religious leaders bin dey among di beneficiaries of cars and cash for wetin some dey see as blatant attempt to buy support for di ruling party.

Im bin start wit modest Toyota Aquas, but di gifts soon becom dramatically more expensive.

Dem bin give top musician Jah Prayzah, wey dey close to Zanu-PF three luxury cars, along wit about $400,000, ova three years.

Di musician bin postpone im wedding – wey suppose take place last weekend – becos of di helicopter crash. Im say: “Wicknell na more dan a friend to us.”

Anoda ogbonge pesin wey get dis gifts na Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, head of di Zion Christian Church wey dey veri loyal to Zanu-PF. Di cleric bin receive millions in cash donations and four luxury cars.

Chivayo regularly attend di Johane Masowe weChishanu African Apostolic Church, one of di biggest for Zimbabwe, wey dem dey see dia followers dey worship outside wit white robes wey dem dey wear.

Di church also receive plenti cars, buses and cash from di businessman as im bin dey push di influential sect closer to di ruling party. Chivayo carry Mnangagwa along as guest of honour go one massive church gathering for August.