Wicknell Chivayo and Wife Among Six Killed in Marondera Helicopter Crash

MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwean businessman and millionaire tycoon Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, have died in a helicopter crash in the Marondera Rural area, east of Harare.

The helicopter crashed at approximately 17:00 on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, killing all six people reportedly on board.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the crash in a statement, saying:

The ZRP confirms a plane crash in Marondera Rural area at 1700 hours. The aircraft had 6 occupants.

Police initially did not release the identities of those on board. However, Chivayo’s family later confirmed his death and that of his wife, while Zimbabwean media reported that they were among the six victims.

Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana also confirmed that there were no survivors in the crash. Authorities have said formal identification of the victims would follow.

Bodies still at crash scene

A further development on Thursday morning is that the bodies of Chivayo, his wife and the other victims had not yet been removed from the crash site.

According to reports from the scene, the bodies remained at Kudenga Farm in Marondera overnight, with police yet to transport them to a mortuary.

Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the bodies were badly burned, making formal identification necessary before the victims could officially be named.

The crash site remains under investigation as authorities work to complete the recovery and identification process.

The cause of the crash has not yet been announced.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves across Zimbabwe, with Chivayo being one of the country’s most prominent and high-profile businessmen.

Vision6000 will continue to follow developments as authorities release further information.