HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Zimbabwean music star Jah Prayzah has postponed his wedding scheduled for October 3, 2026 following the death of businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke in a helicopter crash.
The singer, whose real name is Mukudzeyi Mukombe, announced the decision in a joint statement with his wife Rufaro Mukombe on Wednesday.
In a statement written in Shona and English, the couple said they had no adequate words for the moment.
“Hatina mashoko akakwana panguva yakadai. The sudden loss of our dear brother Sir Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy, and all those who lost their lives in this tragic accident has left us deeply heartbroken,” the statement read.
“Wicknell was more than a friend to us. He was family, a brother, and someone who walked closely with us through many chapters of life. Losing him together with Lucy in such a sudden way is a pain that is difficult to put into words.”
The Mukombes said their hearts were with all families who lost loved ones in the crash at Kudenga Farm in Marondera on September 30, adding “Mwari vape nyaradzo nesimba kune vose vari kuchema panguva ino” — May God give comfort and strength to all who are mourning at this time.
“Pane nguva yekuti zvimwe zvinhu zvese zvinofanira kumbomira. Out of love, respect and the need to grieve with family, our wedding which was scheduled for 3 October has been postponed. We will continue with our wedding plans when the time is right,” they said.
The announcement underscores the close personal and financial ties between Chivayo and Zimbabwe’s entertainment elite.
Jah Prayzah was one of Chivayo’s most prominent beneficiaries. Over the past two years, Chivayo gifted the musician multiple luxury vehicles, including Toyota Land Cruiser 300s and a Mercedes-Benz, often with large sums of cash, and publicly funded his music videos and international travel.
In return, Jah Prayzah performed at Chivayo’s events and was regularly featured in Chivayo’s social media broadcasts celebrating his donations.
Chivayo, 43, founder of Intratrek Zimbabwe, died along with Muteke, a bodyguard and two pilots when their helicopter came down while returning from his rural home in Chivhu where he was building a new mansion.
The couple had married in March 2025 after Chivayo’s divorce from his first wife Sonja Madzikanda in 2024.
The wedding postponement is the first major cultural event affected by the crash, which has prompted an outpouring of tributes from ZANU-PF officials, musicians, football clubs and church leaders — many of whom were recipients of Chivayo’s high-profile philanthropy.
The Mukombes did not announce a new date.
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