Zim GBC News | Harare Correspondent
MARONDERA – Controversial businessman and Zanu PF donor Wicknell Chivayo on Tuesday announced a donation of US$1.8 million to 6,000 members of the Marondera branch of the Johanne Masowe church. Each congregant is set to receive US$300 in cash and two Christmas hampers.
The 45-year-old Intratrek Zimbabwe CEO, known for his ostentatious displays of wealth and fleet of luxury cars, made the announcement on social media, describing the gifts as a “Christmas present.”
This follows a similar donation last year, where he gave over 100 Toyota Aqua vehicles to members of the same church.
This latest giveaway adds to a long series of high-profile donations Chivayo has made throughout the year, targeting a wide range of beneficiaries including social media influencers, musicians, comedians, church leaders, and Zanu PF politicians.
Publicly disclosed donations are estimated to exceed US$75 million.
The timing of the donation follows last week’s announcement by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) that it was dropping its investigation into Chivayo regarding allegations of corruption in the awarding of a US$100 million tender to South African company Ren-Form CC for 2023 election materials. ZACC stated it found no evidence linking Chivayo to the contract, a decision met with skepticism by transparency advocates.
Chivayo, one of the ruling party’s most prominent donors, is frequently seen in the company of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The President has previously defended Chivayo, rejecting claims that he is used as a political front and describing him instead as a “philanthropist.”
The donations continue to fuel public debate about the sources of such wealth, the intersection of business, politics, and philanthropy in Zimbabwe, and the broader societal needs that remain unaddressed despite such individual acts of giving.
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