Wicknell Chivayo's Harare Mansion Reportedly Carried Unpaid US$1.1 Million Balance at Time of Death
- The late Wicknell Chivayo reportedly paid only US$1.4 million of the US$2.5 million agreed price for his Harare mansion before dying in a helicopter crash
- The outstanding US$1.1 million balance was supposedly meant to be settled through political services rather than cash, with no formal documentation
- Reports indicate that legal ownership of the Gletwyn suburb property had not been transferred to Chivayo before his death, adding another layer of complexity to his estate
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Wicknell Chivayo, the late Zimbabwean businessman, reportedly died without completing the purchase of his lavish Harare mansion, leaving his estate to contend with an unresolved debt and a disputed ownership arrangement.
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According to a report by TUKO, Wicknell Chivayo paid US$1.4 million towards the property in May 2024, falling short of the US$2.5 million agreed sale price.
The remaining US$1.1 million had ostensibly not been settled at the time of his death.
The mansion sits in the upmarket Gletwyn suburb near Chishawasha Hills in northeastern Harare and is said to have previously belonged to former Zimbabwean police commissioner Augustine Chihuri.
Wicknell Chivayo's alleged political services agreement
What makes the outstanding balance particularly complicated is how it was reportedly intended to be repaid.
Sources familiar with the transaction claim Chivayo and Chihuri reached an informal understanding that the remaining amount would be covered through political services rather than money.
Crucially, that supposed agreement was never put in writing.
The political services in question reportedly centred on alleged efforts to repair the fractured relationship between Chihuri and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chihuri, a close ally of former President Robert Mugabe, reportedly fled Zimbabwe following the 2017 military takeover that ended Mugabe's long rule.
By 2020, the government had initiated legal proceedings to confiscate assets linked to Chihuri.
Without formal documentation of the arrangement, there is no clear mechanism for determining how the balance should now be valued or pursued with Chivayo gone.
Wicknell Chivayo's mansion ownership transfer left incomplete
Beyond the unpaid balance, legal title to the property had reportedly never been transferred to Chivayo.
Zimbabwean property law requires a formal process before ownership changes hands, including title searches, tax clearance, payment of transfer fees and registration with the Deeds Registry. None of those steps had reportedly been completed.
Adding to the uncertainty is a significant gap between the agreed sale price and the property's official valuation.
While the two parties are reported to have settled on US$2.5 million, Zimbabwe's official assessment reportedly placed the mansion's value at US$7 million, a difference of US$4.5 million that has raised further questions about the legitimacy and fairness of the original transaction.
With Chivayo now deceased, Chihuri reportedly holds the keys to the property while the matter of the outstanding payment remains unresolved.
The mansion is expected to become one of several contentious issues facing Chivayo's family and representatives as they work through his estate.
The X post on the hurdle Wicknell Chivayo's family is reportedly facing is below.
Wicknell Chivayo's family shares his final wishes
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on Wicknell Chivayo’s family’s plans for his estate and his stated wish that his children receive most of his wealth.
His uncle said the children are the rightful beneficiaries and will receive everything, ruling out any claim by the extended family.
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Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
