Wicknell Chivayo Gifted Lawyers Cars and Cash Hours Before Fatal Helicopter Crash
- Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo celebrated his lawyers with luxury vehicles and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash on September 30
- Chivayo's final social media post, shared at 9.20 am, was addressed to senior lawyers Wilson Tatenda Manase and Advocate Sylvester Hashiti
- Hours after the post, Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, and four others died when their helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera
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Wicknell Chivayo, the Zimbabwean businessman known for his flamboyant generosity, spent his final hours doing what he did best: rewarding loyalty with extravagance.
Source: Facebook
On the morning of Wednesday, September 30, 2026, he published a heartfelt tribute to two of his longest-serving lawyers, announcing lavish gifts for each of them.
By the end of that same day, Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, and four other passengers were dead after their helicopter went down at Kudenga Farm in Marondera, roughly 40 minutes after leaving Gandami in Chikomba, where the couple had been supervising construction work on their rural home.
His final post, published at 9.20 am, was directed at Wilson Tatenda Manase, senior partner at Manase & Manase Legal Practitioners, and Advocate Sylvester Hashiti.
Chivayo had composed it days after another member of his legal team, Advocate Lewis Uriri, turned down a multi-million gift, prompting Chivayo to reflect that "one man's meat is another man's poison.
What may not work for one person may certainly be appreciated by another."
Chivayo's final gift to his legal team
For Manase, the tribute carried particular weight. Chivayo traced their relationship back to 1998, when he was renting a single room in Hillside and still building his name.
"He has watched my journey from those humble beginnings to where I am today. Through the years, he has been much more than just my lawyer but has been a father figure, mentor, brother, adviser and trusted confidant," Chivayo wrote.
Manase's gifts included a fully paid 2026 Lexus GX 550 valued at USD 220,000 (approximately KSh 28.5 million) and KSh 32.4 million (USD 250,000) in cash for personal upkeep.
Hashiti, for whom Chivayo noted he had already purchased three vehicles on previous occasions, was set to receive a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography along with KSh 64.9 million (USD 500,000) in cash.
The sum partly acknowledged remarks Hashiti had made in court defending Chivayo's interests.
A relationship spanning nearly three decades
Chivayo credited Manase with introducing him to both Uriri and Hashiti, and noted that the senior partner had served as executive chairman and board member across several of his companies over the years.
He described the bond between them as one that had weathered different seasons of life and business alike.
"Relationships built over that length of time, through different seasons of life and business, surely deserve to be recognised and celebrated," he wrote.
His closing words offered both gratitude and encouragement:
"Thank you for the counsel, the mentorship, the friendship and above all, for simply being there through the years. Continue serving your clients and your profession with distinction. Congratulations to you both, and enjoy your cash and new cars...GOD BLESS."
It was the last post Chivayo would ever make.
The Facebook details below contains Sir Wicknell's very final social media post celebrating his legal team and their dedication over the years.
Sir Wicknell and William Ruto's controversial relationship
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Wicknell Chivayo, the flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman widely known as Sir Wicknell, had cultivated one of the more unusual cross-border relationships in East African political life before he died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, near Marondera, Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean authorities confirmed that a helicopter carrying a prominent businessman, his wife, two other passengers and two pilots went down in Marondera Rural, with no survivors.
While officials had not publicly named the victims at the time of the initial announcement, Zimbabwean media subsequently identified Chivayo and his wife, Lucy "Lulu" Muteke, as among those killed.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
