- Three Harare car dealers are collectively owed more than US$5 million by the late businessman Wicknell Chivayo
- Chivayo operated under open-ended credit arrangements with dealers, taking vehicles and settling bills later
- Zimbabweans took to social media to weigh in on the news, sharing various reactions to Chivayo's debt
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo owed more than US$5.1 million to three major Harare luxury car dealerships before he passed away, according to sources familiar with the arrangements.
The dealerships, Exquisite Cars, Enterprise Car Sales, and Faramatsi Motors, had each extended credit to Chivayo over the years. Faramatsi Motors carries the largest outstanding bill, reportedly sitting at US$2.4 million.
Chivayo died alongside his wife, Lucy Rujeko Muteke, and three others when their Bell 430 helicopter went down near Marondera at Kudenga Farm on 30 September 2026. The other victims were identified as Saneliswe Magagula, pilot Calvin Tafirei Soda, and co-pilot Courage Mutavirwa.
How Chivayo's credit arrangements worked
A source familiar with his dealings explained to ZimLive that Chivayo operated on an informal but consistent system.
He would take vehicles from dealerships and settle the accounts later, usually within three months, with payments timed to coincide with government treasury disbursements.
"Most of his income came from the government. So these payments to the car dealers followed cycles of disbursements by the treasury, and the car dealers were comfortable with their arrangement," the source said.
The claims do not stop at Zimbabwe's borders. South African dealerships that released vehicles before receiving full payment are also seeking to recover money from his estate. Adding to the complications, some vehicles remain stranded at the Beitbridge border post because import duties were never fully settled.
Chivayo built a reputation for spectacular generosity, giving away luxury vehicles and large sums of cash to churches and individuals. His publicly declared gifts exceeded US$50 million, though he himself claimed to have given away more than US$100 million.
How did social media users react?
Zimbabweans following the story on social media have had plenty to say.
@M_Jay94 wrote:
"So Chihuri is getting the house back since the transfer was never completed? Haa guys. Seems this guy could not manage his finances properly. His kids might not inherit anything because creditors are paid first."
@baka_tjidzani said:
"Chivayo and owing only 5 million, it's nothing, phela. It's purse money."
@alasWeRise asked:
"Gifting people using the President and party's name yet still owing people? Why did they allow him to do such?"
@WillKapungu observed:
"Even in death, he's still making headlines."
@thomaschauke added:
"This is the all-too-common fate of businesses built on opaque dealings. Such enterprises rarely survive their founders. The secrecy surrounding their operations creates opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to make fraudulent claims against the estate."
Wicknell and wife buried without heads
Briefly News reported that Chivayo and his wife Lucy were laid to rest on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare.
Family spokesman Herbert Chivayo confirmed the couple's bodies were severely burnt after the fatal helicopter crash on 30 September.
Zimbabweans weighed in on one key aspect of the burial after it was announced that they would be buried without their heads.
Source: Briefly News
Authors:
Tags:
Hot: