By Lovemore Lubinda
HARARE-(MaraviPost)-The wreckage of the helicopter that killed controversial businessperson Wicknell Chivayo has been moved to Charles Prince Airport in Harare for forensic examination to establish what actually caused the accident, a senior government official has said.
Speaking during a post-cabinet briefing, Minister of Transport Felix Mhona said international aviation experts will take part in the examination of the wreckage.
Chivayo, 47, died alongside four others when a Bell 430 helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera, Mashonaland East Province, on 30 September 2026.
According to the Cabinet report tabled by Mhona, the Zimbabwe-registered aircraft, registration Z-PED, operated by Sky Helicopters, was on a private flight from Gandami to Marondera when it went down at around 5pm.
All five occupants were killed on impact. They have been identified as pilot Captain Calvin Soda, Chivayo, his wife Ms Lucy Muteke, Ms Sanelisiwe Magagula, and security aide Captain Courage Mutavira. An earlier police statement had put the death toll at six.
The crash immediately triggered intense public speculation, given Chivayo’s high profile as a flamboyant tycoon with close links to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and political figures across Southern Africa.
Annex 13 investigation
Cabinet received an update on the crash this week, with Mhona confirming that a full investigation has been instituted under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Act [Chapter 13:16].
“Preliminary on-site investigations are complete, with the wreckage recovered to the Government Hangar at Charles Prince Airport for detailed forensic examination, including by international experts,” the cabinet report states.
“A comprehensive report is expected within 30 days.”
The minister said the Air Accidents and Incidents Investigation Unit had completed mapping the crash site, documenting fuel spillage and fire damage.
Investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) are leading the probe, but will be assisted by foreign experts, including representatives from the helicopter manufacturer Bell Textron and the engine manufacturer.
The Bell 430 is a twin-engine light-medium helicopter popular with corporate and VIP operators. Z-PED was one of only a handful registered in Zimbabwe.
Mhona said black boxes, if recoverable, maintenance logs, air traffic communications and weather data at the time of the accident are all being reviewed. Fuel samples taken from the departure point are also being tested.
End of a polarising figure
Chivayo, known to supporters as “Sir Wicknell”, rose from a conviction for fraud in the early 2000s to become one of Zimbabwe’s most visible businessmen, winning major Zimbabwe Power Company contracts through his company Intratrek.
He courted both adulation and criticism for his lavish philanthropy, gifting luxury vehicles, houses and cash to musicians, footballers, church leaders and ZANU-PF supporters.
President Mnangagwa visited his Gletwin home on 2 October to pay condolences, describing the accident as a national tragedy.
“The violent end of a wealthy businessman deeply connected to political circles in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Eswatini, and beyond inevitably triggered public speculation,” one government note acknowledged.
However, as of Monday 6 October, no credible evidence of sabotage or foul play has been presented.
Canadian-based Kenyan lawyer Miguna Miguna has publicly dismissed the conspiracy theories, urging the public to wait for the technical report.
The opposition has called for transparency. Several civic groups have asked that the final report be made public in full, given the political sensitivities.
For now, the wreckage sits under guard at Charles Prince, formerly known as Mount Hampden Airport, 20 kilometres north-west of Harare.
Investigators will be looking for signs of mechanical failure, human error or environmental factors. The government says the findings will be released within a month.
Chivayo is expected to be buried this week at a cemetery in the capital.
Family spokespersons said funeral arrangements were delayed pending the conclusion of post-mortems and DNA identification due to the severity of burns at the crash site.
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