Custom Caskets and a Rolls-Royce Convoy: How Wicknell Chivayo and Wife Lucy Were Laid to Rest
- Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife were laid to rest in Harare in a ceremony that drew thousands of mourners onto the streets of the capital
- Details of the couple’s final send-off, including the unique design of their caskets and the vehicles used during the ceremony, have caught attention online
- The burial also came with a special state honour from Zimbabwe’s president, while the couple’s church performed rites that differed from its usual traditions
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Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, have been laid to rest in a lavish ceremony in Harare.
Source: UGC
The couple lost their lives on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the helicopter they were travelling in went down near Marondera.
The aircraft was on its way to Harare at the time, and others on board, including two pilots, also did not survive. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana confirmed that a high-profile businessman was among those on board.
In the days that followed, mourners gathered at the couple’s Gletwin home in Harare as tributes poured in from across Africa.
Chivayo was widely known for his flashy lifestyle and for gifting cars and cash to musicians, sports stars and pastors.
Wicknell Chivayo and wife’s lavish burial
The couple were buried side by side at Sahwira Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Chivayo a provincial hero, and his casket was draped in the Zimbabwean national flag.
Their white caskets, unveiled by Doves Funeral Services in Harare, were custom-designed to resemble luxury cars.
Chivayo’s casket featured a Rolls-Royce-style front grille and a personalised number plate linked to his famous car fleet. Lucy’s casket carried a Mercedes-Benz-inspired design, complete with her nickname on a plate.
Both caskets also came with gold handles, white lace and floral details. Members of the Johane Masowe yeChishanu church, to which the couple belonged, performed the funeral rites.
The church traditionally buries its members without conventional coffins, which made the couple’s caskets even more striking to observers.
The X video of Wicknell Chivayo and his wife’s caskets during their burial is below.
Luxury convoys bring Harare to a standstill
Before the burial, the couple’s families arrived at Doves Funeral Services on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in a convoy of luxury cars.
The fleet included several Rolls-Royce models and a Mercedes, which led the couple’s caskets to their Gletwin home to lie in state overnight. Large crowds lined a busy Harare street to watch as the convoy passed.
On the day of the funeral ceremony, a long line of black vehicles also moved through the grounds, flanked by security Land Cruisers with sirens blaring.
Police closed some major roads as the procession made its way through the city. Thousands of mourners, many dressed in white, reportedly flooded parts of Harare to bid the couple farewell.
Wicknell Chivayo’s children were not on board
Earlier reports confirmed that Wicknell Chivayo’s children were not on the helicopter with their father and stepmother.
ZimLive reported that the two children from his previous marriage to Sonja Madzikanda were safe. Family spokesman Herbert Chivayo later said the children, John and Atarah, were receiving professional counselling.
He added that the family was putting the children’s emotional wellbeing first.
Wicknell Chivayo’s brother’s message to pilot
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a video of Wicknell Chivayo’s brother speaking to the couple’s helicopter pilot resurfaced online.
The clip was recorded on September 21, 2026, at an outdoor gathering linked to the Johane Masowe Chishanu religious community.
In the video, the brother appealed to the pilot to keep the businessman safe on his journeys. Nine days later, the helicopter carrying the couple went down near Marondera.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
