CHIVAYO EXPOSED: HOW ONE MAN CLAIMS TO CONTROL A NATION

In a shocking twist that feels more like a script from a political crime thriller than real life, Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has been caught in a leaked audio boasting of controlling President Emmerson Mnangagwa like a puppet on a string. The revelations are explosive. They lay bare the toxic marriage between political power and business greed that continues to sink Zimbabwe into deeper crisis.

In the recording, Chivayo does not hold back. He claims to have a “vice-like grip” on Mnangagwa—words that suggest not just influence but domination. He paints a disturbing picture of a state where decisions at the highest level are manipulated not by merit or national interest, but by shady deals, personal gifts, and unchecked ambition. It is a confession of state capture. And worse, it’s one given with pride.

This scandal isn’t just about bragging. It connects directly to a major failed government project—the Gwanda solar project—where Chivayo’s company, Intratrek, received US$5.8 million in advance for a US$173 million contract. Years later, there’s no solar energy to show for it. Just empty promises, ghost structures, and millions lost. And despite this failure, Chivayo remained untouched. Now, we may understand why.

In the audio, Chivayo describes how he was personally escorted by Mnangagwa on a red carpet to his plane before an international summit. This wasn’t just about protocol. It was a message: Wicknell is not just a businessman—he’s part of the inner circle. He even brags of securing more tenders across Africa, not through merit or innovation, but through manipulation and high-level access.

His influence doesn’t stop with the President. He claims to have close ties with Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi too. He boasts of financial gifts, cash splashes, luxury cars, and other “tokens” of appreciation that kept the political elite loyal and silent. Most chilling of all is his admission that he used money from a shady US$40 million Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) tender to fuel his political empire.

These are not wild conspiracy theories. The NewsHawks, one of Zimbabwe’s leading investigative outlets, confirmed the audio is real. They verified documents linked to the ZEC tender. This is not just gossip—it’s hard evidence of rot in the heart of government.

Some have tried to brush it off. A few say the audio is fake, or “deepfaked.” But the evidence is mounting. And what it reveals is this: Zimbabwe is being run by a clique of politicians and businessmen whose loyalty is not to the people, but to each other’s pockets.

This scandal must be a wake-up call. Chivayo’s words and actions show how far Zimbabwe has drifted from accountability. Public tenders are handed out like birthday gifts. National resources are squandered. The rich get richer while hospitals crumble and millions go hungry. The gap between leaders and the people has never been wider.

The question now is simple: Will anything be done? Will Mnangagwa respond? Will the government act? Or will this just be another scandal swept under the carpet while Zimbabwe bleeds?

Zimbabweans deserve answers. More than that, they deserve justice. If Chivayo’s claims are true, then every citizen has been betrayed. And if they’re not, then let him be tried in public and clear his name in court.

But silence cannot be an option. The President must break his silence. Parliament must investigate. The justice system must rise above politics and act independently. Because if one man can boast of owning a country, then the country no longer belongs to the people.