HARARE – Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo has been thrust into the spotlight once again after confidential documents surfaced implicating him in a high-level corruption scandal involving over US$20 million in questionable transactions.
The documents suggest Chivhayo is believed to be acting as a financial front for powerful political elites, including members of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s family.
According to a confidential Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) memo dated 13 December 2024, Chivhayo’s three companies — Eden Breeze (Pvt) Ltd, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd, and IMC Technologies (Pvt) Ltd — submitted applications to Ecobank for authority to withdraw US$20 million in cash monthly. All three firms are owned by Chivhayo, a businessman long suspected of benefiting from political patronage.
In his request, Chivhayo claimed the money was needed to pay suppliers under a supposed government contract with the Ministry of ICT. He stated the funds were meant to import equipment from China, Dubai, Europe and other international destinations. However, when the FIU requested supporting documentation, including supply contracts, Chivhayo declined to provide them, citing confidentiality.
The FIU flagged the transactions, questioning the legitimacy of the funds and Chivhayo’s refusal to provide proof. A tense meeting followed on 13 December 2024 between FIU officials, Ecobank executives, and Chivhayo, who still failed to produce the necessary documents. Concerns were raised about the transparency of the transaction and the true source of the funds.
Meanwhile, a second damning report details how IMC Communications, co-directed by Wicknell and Esther Chivhayo, received a staggering US$18,408,095 from the Ministry of Finance in October 2024 alone. The payments were made in four separate tranches into a CBZ Bank account, raising further suspicions about the scale of financial manoeuvring involving public funds.
Banking records show that after receiving the funds, IMC Communications channelled payments to numerous companies and individuals, including Redan Kerosene (US$8,011,196), Dolintel Trading, Energy Park, Intratrek, Matrix Freight, and Wicknell Chivhayo himself. Notably, US$80,000 was withdrawn as cash, a red flag in anti-money laundering terms.
Insiders within the Ministry of Finance claim Chivhayo’s dealings are being quietly backed by influential figures linked to the Mnangagwa family, positioning him as a trusted proxy in controversial state procurement deals.
As pressure mounts, critics have called for an independent investigation into the source and use of the funds, citing growing public outcry over corruption and elite capture of national institutions.
Efforts to obtain comment from Wicknell Chivhayo were unsuccessful, while the government has yet to release an official statement.
This unfolding scandal raises deep questions about the misuse of public funds, transparency in government procurement, and the role of politically connected individuals in siphoning off state resources under the guise of development.
