Zimbabwe is mourning the deaths of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke and three other people after a Bell 430 helicopter crashed in rural Marondera on Wednesday evening.
The aircraft went down at Kudenga Farm at about 5pm on 30 September, shortly after leaving Gandami in Chikomba for Harare. All five people on board died. The victims included two pilots, a personal aide and Chivayo’s wife, according to the names released by officials and the families.
The five victims named in the condolence message were Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, Lucy Rujeko “Lulu” Muteke Chivayo, Senelisiwe Magagula, Captain Kelvin T. Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa. Early official accounts erroneously said the aircraft was carrying six people — one high-profile businessman, three passengers and two pilots — but the public condolence message named five victims.
Captain Soda was a commissioned officer in the Air Force of Zimbabwe and one of the pilots operating the private helicopter. His death has brought a military loss to a tragedy that initially drew national attention because of the fame and wealth of the businessman on board.
The other named pilot, Captain Mutavirwa, was an experienced aviator who was flying alongside Soda on the journey from Chikomba to Harare. The two men were responsible for the Bell 430 when it crashed in the Marondera rural district, about 70km east of Harare.
The aircraft struck the ground and caught fire. The blaze was so intense that forensic specialists were sent to the scene to recover and identify human remains, examine the wreckage and begin the work of establishing how the crash happened.
Transport Minister Felix Mhona this morning at the site of the helicopter crash that killed Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy, and four others.
Also assessing the crash were Minister of State for Mash East Itayi Ndudzo and CAAZ Director George Mashababe.
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Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe director-general George Mashababe said the preliminary examination had established that fuel spilled when the helicopter hit the ground and that the fuel then ignited.
“The helicopter has a tail with blades, and when its body hit the ground, it appears there was impact and a spillage of fuel, which resulted in a fire that followed the fuel that had spilt on the ground,” he said.
Mashababe said the investigation was continuing and that a detailed statement would be issued when the findings were ready. The authorities have not announced what caused the helicopter to lose control or descend into the farm. Investigators are examining the wreckage and the surrounding site for evidence of a mechanical, structural or environmental failure.
The post-impact fire heavily damaged the aircraft and complicated the recovery operation. The condition of the wreckage also meant that the families had to wait for forensic work before the victims could be formally identified and burial arrangements completed.
Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Tino Machakaire confirmed the identities of the five victims named in his condolence message. He described the loss as a devastating blow to the families and to the country.
“I write this with a deeply broken heart following the tragic loss of five precious lives aboard the Bell 430 helicopter flight from Chikomba to Harare. It is difficult to find words for a tragedy of this magnitude. They left their loved ones never knowing that it would be their final journey,” he said.
Machakaire named Chivayo, Lucy Chivayo, Senelisiwe Magagula, Captain Kelvin T. Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa in his message. He also paid tribute to the pilots and offered condolences to their relatives and colleagues.
Captain Soda was remembered by colleagues and members of the public as a disciplined, humble and committed aviator. The attention that followed the crash soon widened from Chivayo’s death to the loss of the two pilots, whose experience was central to the flight and whose deaths removed skilled personnel from Zimbabwe’s aviation community.
Magagula worked as an assistant and media aide to Lucy. Her job included helping with photographs and social media content connected to the lifestyle brand that Lucy had built around fashion, travel and luxury shopping. She was travelling with the couple when the helicopter crashed.
Lucy, known publicly as Lulu, had worked as a personal shopper, commercial model and social media influencer. She sourced designer clothing and other high-end goods for private clients and had appeared in promotional work for beauty and lifestyle brands.
She came from a prominent farming family in the Marondera area. Her father, Christopher Mudzingwa Muteke, owns Alpha Omega Farm in Marondera, and the family was closely associated with the region where the helicopter came down.
Lucy’s relationship with Chivayo became public in late 2024. They held a high-profile traditional wedding at her family’s farm in Marondera in March 2025. The celebrations attracted attention because of the scale of the ceremony, the expensive gifts exchanged between the families and the appearance of prominent musicians.
The public focus on their wealth intensified after an armed gang raided the Muteke family farm days after the traditional marriage ceremony. The attackers reportedly took US$75,000 in cash believed to be connected to the bride-price arrangements. Lucy later lived with Chivayo in a highly publicised marriage within the Johane Masowe eChishanu apostolic congregation.
Chivayo, who was 43, built one of Zimbabwe’s most recognisable business and social-media profiles. Born in Chivhu, he left school in Form Two after his father died and the family experienced severe financial hardship. He later worked as a wages clerk at a bus company before moving into informal currency trading in Harare.
He said he made his first million South African rand at 19 and his first million US dollars at 23. His rise was interrupted by a fraud conviction in 2004 involving the theft of US$6m from a Victoria Falls investor. He served part of a prison sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and was released in 2006.
He went on to establish Intratrek Zimbabwe, an infrastructure and energy company that pursued major state contracts. The company was awarded a contract worth more than US$170 million to build a 100MW solar plant in Gwanda in 2015. The project became the centre of a long-running legal dispute after a US$5m advance was paid and construction failed to progress as expected. Chivayo was acquitted in 2024.
He was also linked to scrutiny surrounding a US$100 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission election-materials contract. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigated the matter and closed the case in 2025, saying it had found no direct evidence of wrongdoing involving Chivayo or the electoral commission.
In the months before his death, Chivayo was expanding his business interests beyond Zimbabwe. His name was linked to a stake in the proposed expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya through IMC Construction. He also maintained relationships with senior political figures across the region.
He was a prominent supporter of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party. Chivayo frequently posted photographs with African presidents and other senior officials, presenting himself as a businessman with access to the highest levels of government. Kenya’s President William Ruto described him as a “dear friend” while offering condolences after the crash.
Chivayo was also known for giving away luxury vehicles and large amounts of money. His gifts included Mercedes-Benz vehicles, Toyota Land Cruisers, Range Rovers and other expensive cars presented to politicians, musicians, religious leaders, actors, media personalities and members of the security services.
Shortly before his death, he said he had donated more than US$100 million in cash and more than 3,000 cars to members of the public. He had also supported the Johane Masowe eChishanu church with vehicles, buildings and direct financial contributions.
His public image was built on the contrast between his difficult childhood, his criminal conviction, his state-linked business career and his public display of extraordinary wealth. That contrast made him a familiar figure far beyond the business world and ensured that news of the crash spread quickly across Zimbabwe and the region.
The Marondera investigation is now focused on the Bell 430, the flight path, the condition of the engines and controls, weather conditions, the pilots’ records and the circumstances surrounding the departure from Chikomba district, in Chivhu. Investigators are also working with forensic specialists because the fire damaged both the fuselage and the remains of those on board.