- Zimbabwean journalist Robert Mukondiwa came across the late tycoon Wicknell Chivayo's private jet sitting idle at RGM International Airport
- Mukondiwa shared a moving reflection on how the aircraft, once central to Chivayo's flamboyant lifestyle, now waited with no owner to fly it
- Chivayo died on September 30, 2026, in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his new wife, Lulu, and three others
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A chance encounter at RGM International Airport last week left Zimbabwean journalist Robert Mukondiwa visibly shaken, after he spotted the private jet that once belonged to the late businessman Wicknell Chivayo sitting idle on the tarmac, unmanned and unclaimed.
Source: Facebook
Mukondiwa, writing on Facebook on October 13, 2026, described the moment as one of his saddest brushes with reality.
Landing at the airport, he recognised the aircraft immediately, a plane that had become almost as famous as its owner, known for the gospel songs sung aboard it, the lively company it carried, and the colourful livery painted on its tail.
Wicknell Chivayo's plane without its owner
The journalist wrote poignantly about the sight of the jet, noting that it appeared to be waiting, much like a loyal dog expecting its owner to return.
"It had to move on to a new owner with a pulse," he wrote, acknowledging the painful truth that Chivayo would never board it again.
Mukondiwa also observed that whoever takes ownership of the aircraft would likely repaint it, removing the inscriptions and imagery tied to Chivayo's identity.
"That someone would be coming to paint over the peculiar and unattractive words and pictures painted on the livery at the back of the plane," he noted, adding that a new owner would not want the "Johanne" inscription left behind.
Closing his post, Mukondiwa turned the encounter into a broader call for compassion, urging his followers to use the week deliberately to be kind and gentle to one another.
"Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me," he wrote, signing off with characteristic warmth.
What happened to Wicknell Chivayo's tragic death
Chivayo, one of Zimbabwe's most flamboyant and controversial tycoons, died on 30 September 2026 in a helicopter crash.
His new wife, Lulu, and three other people also perished in the accident. At the time Mukondiwa spotted the jet, Chivayo's remains were being held at a morgue ahead of his burial the following day.
The businessman was widely known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included the private jet that Mukondiwa described as a "recording studio" of sorts, a space where gospel songs were sung loudly and where Chivayo's larger-than-life personality filled every corner.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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