Wicknell Chivayo buys Augustine Chihuri’s US$7m mansion in Harare

HARARE – Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has reportedly acquired an opulent R130-million (US$7 million) mansion in Harare that was previously owned by Augustine Chihuri, the former Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner General.

Chihuri, a close ally of the late former President Robert Mugabe, fled Zimbabwe in 2017 after the coup that brought Emmerson Mnangagwa to power.

His mansion in Harare’s Gletwyn suburb was seized by the state in 2020 as part of an investigation into his unexplained wealth.

Chihuri successfully challenged this seizure in court in 2022, but the property has now been sold to Chivayo.

His lawyer advocate Lewis Uriri informed News24 that Chivayo is a beneficiary of a trust that purchased the property.

“Mr. Chivayo is a beneficiary of the owner of the property, having purchased the same. The owner, whose title is being processed, is a trust that, for now, cannot be named,” Uriri said.

Chivayo’s own past is far from spotless. In 2004, he was convicted of theft by false pretenses and served a three-year jail term.

Despite this, he has emerged in recent years as a wealthy benefactor, dishing out luxury cars to supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF party.

In the past few months, Chivayo distributed Mercedes-Benzes, Toyota Hiluxes, and smaller vehicles, raising questions about the source of his funds. Beneficiaries include top Zimbabwean artists Jah Prayzah and Sandra Ndebele.

The concerns about Chivayo’s source of wealth are further amplified by Chivayo’s close association with high-ranking officials.

In April, he was seen with Mnangagwa walking side by side with Kenyan President William Ruto at a trade fair, fueling speculation about his potential influence.

The recently purchased mansion underwent a luxurious refurbishment by renowned South African design firm Norman Bakos, with the renovation costs exceeding a staggering R2 million.

While Chivayo claims to have acquired the property through a trust, his history of legal troubles and alleged ties to corruption make it a cause for public concern.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has previously investigated Chivayo, but no charges have been laid.

In a leaked memo, Zacc revealed that they had been investigating Chivayo since March last year, triggered by his lavish spending and flashing of money.

The memo showed that ZACC had been gathering information from various organisations, including the Finance Intelligence Unit and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, to determine the source of his wealth.

Chivayo responded to the investigation on social media, saying it was painful that ZACC had leaked the memo and was trying to extort him.

He claimed that all his deals were above board and that he had not committed any crime. He also boasted that he had budgeted US$3 million for his church and would replace every car if ZACC took any.

Chivayo was, last year, acquitted, along with his company Intratrek Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, of misappropriating US$5.6 million for the abortive 100MW Gwanda Solar Project, after the Harare Magistrates Court agreed that there had been an unreasonable delay in the prosecution.