The crash occurred at around 5pm on Wednesday, September 30, with six people aboard the aircraft. Zimbabwean authorities confirmed that there were no survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chivayo\u2019s death was confirmed by family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo, who told state-owned national broadcaster ZBC News that the family was struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are at a loss for words after the tragic incident,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi also confirmed the crash, saying the aircraft had six occupants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, government spokesperson Nick Mangwana had confirmed that a helicopter carrying a high-profile businessman, other passengers and two pilots had crashed in Marondera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Government wishes to confirm that a helicopter crash has occurred,\u201d Mangwana said in a statement, adding that there were no survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The police said emergency teams were attending the scene and that further details would be released as investigations continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A high-profile figure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chivayo, who was widely known as \u201cSir Wicknell\u201d, had built a prominent public profile through his business interests, philanthropy and social media posts showcasing an affluent lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was a familiar figure in the media across the region, frequently sharing photographs and videos of his interactions with senior political figures, heads of state and other prominent personalities across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His public profile was also built around conspicuous displays of wealth, including luxury cars, expensive gifts and large charitable donations, which frequently attracted media attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chivayo was the founder of Intratrek Zimbabwe, an energy and infrastructure company that was involved in the Gwanda Solar Project, a major proposed solar power development in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project became controversial over delays and questions surrounding its implementation and funding. Chivayo denied wrongdoing and defended his record in the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His business career also faced scrutiny over the years. He had a previous fraud conviction dating back to 2005, for which he served a prison sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chivayo remained a highly visible and sometimes controversial public figure in Zimbabwe, with his social media presence and business dealings regularly generating public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The circumstances surrounding Wednesday\u2019s helicopter crash had not been fully established by the time of publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n