Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has drawn sharp criticism once again after flaunting his extravagant lifestyle abroad, even as millions of Zimbabweans continue to endure worsening economic hardship and a crumbling public service sector.
Wicknell Chivayo, who is widely known for his close ties to ZANU PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was spotted last weekend enjoying prime ringside seats at a high-profile heavyweight boxing match in London between Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Daniel Dubois. He attended the bout in the company of his wife, Lulu, at Wembley Stadium, where VIP tickets reportedly cost £5,500 each — over US$7,000 per seat.
Usyk won the fight with a fifth-round knockout, but for many Zimbabweans, the knockout blow came not in the ring, but in the images that emerged online of Chivayo basking in luxury while back home, hospitals are understocked, basic commodities remain out of reach, and government workers continue to toil under depressed salaries.
The flamboyant businessman’s opulent outing has ignited fresh public outrage, with critics accusing him of flaunting wealth rooted in corruption and ill-gotten gains from state-linked tenders.
“This is not just a case of a rich man enjoying his money — it’s a symptom of systemic abuse,” said an economic analyst based in Harare. “Wicknell Chivayo is widely known to have benefited from questionable government contracts. His lifestyle is underwritten by public funds, disguised through opaque procurement processes. While citizens struggle to afford mealie meal and fuel, he’s jet-setting across Europe.”
Wicknell Chivayo’s Lavish Boxing Trip Sparks Outrage Amid Zimbabwe’s Economic Woes
Chivayo’s name has become synonymous with controversy. Over the years, he has been linked to multimillion-dollar energy and infrastructure deals awarded by the government, many of which have either stalled or failed to deliver results. Despite public outcry and evidence of non-performance in some projects, he has continued to receive backing from powerful figures in the ruling party.
Most recently, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga made headlines when he referred to parasitic individuals within the ruling party as “Chigananda”—a Shona term loosely describing leeches feeding off the state. Many interpreted the remark as a veiled jab at politically protected figures like Wicknell Chivayo, whose wealth and influence have grown despite their controversial track records.
A senior ZANU PF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Chiwenga knows exactly what’s happening, but he won’t name names. Wicknell Chivayo operates with impunity because of his proximity to the President. No one dares touch him.”
For ordinary Zimbabweans, however, the outrage goes far beyond elite political spats. In Mbare, a street vendor expressed what many feel: “We are suffering every day — no water, no jobs, no medicine in clinics — and yet these people are living like royalty. It’s like they’re mocking us.”
The country’s economic situation remains dire. Despite government assurances that the new gold-backed ZiG currency would bring financial stability, many businesses have closed, foreign currency is scarce, and inflation continues to erode incomes. Workers in both the public and private sectors are grappling with stagnant wages that fail to match the soaring cost of living.Against this bleak backdrop, Wicknell Chivayo’s luxury trip is seen as a slap in the face.
“What kind of message does it send when someone who owes his fortune to the state is splurging thousands of dollars on leisure abroad while the rest of the country sinks further into despair?” asked a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe. “It’s tone-deaf at best, and at worst, a deliberate display of impunity.”
The social media backlash has been swift and unrelenting. Hashtags such as #ChivayoLoots and #EliteImpunity have trended on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with many users demanding an investigation into his finances and calling on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to act.
So far, Wicknell Chivayo has remained silent on the matter, continuing to post glamorous images and cryptic captions on his Instagram account. His apparent disregard for the criticism has only deepened public frustration.
Meanwhile, the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has urged authorities to investigate the source of Chivayo’s wealth and audit all state contracts linked to him. “This level of excess, enabled by state capture and corruption, must not go unchallenged,” CCC spokesperson Gift Siziba said. “We need transparency, we need justice, and we need to restore faith in public accountability.”
As the outrage simmers, it remains unclear whether any real action will be taken — or whether, as many fear, this will be yet another scandal that fades into silence while the political elite continue to thrive at the expense of the suffering majority.
