A custom-built Rolls-Royce Phantom valued at more than US$550,000 arrived in Harare on October 23, 2026, weeks after businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died in a helicopter crash near Marondera.
The vehicle, crated in wood and cleared through customs after the businessman's death, had been in international transit since before the crash. It was the final purchase of a man who lived loudly, gave generously, and carried the Zimbabwean flag into boardrooms across the continent.
A Phantom Ordered in Life, Delivered in Death
According to Bulawayo24 News, Chivayo commissioned the Phantom months before his death, choosing bespoke finishes and personalised number plates bearing the names Wicknell and Chibaba. Comparable Phantom models cost between US$550,000 and more than US$800,000 depending on specification, Business Insider reported.
The car was expected to join a collection that included a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a Bentley Bentayga, two Lamborghini Urus SUVs, a Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 and a Range Rover Autobiography. That fleet was never just metal and leather. It was a statement that a Zimbabwean businessman, building his wealth on Zimbabwean soil, could stand toe to toe with anyone.
Death in the Skies Over Marondera
Chivayo and Muteke died on September 30, 2026, when their helicopter crashed near Marondera, east of Harare, killing everyone aboard. The couple were buried on October 8, and authorities launched an investigation into the crash. The gap between the burial and the Phantom's arrival was precisely 15 days, Archyde reported.
Dealership Debts Now Hang Over the Estate
The glamour of the delivery has been shadowed by harder questions. According to ZimLive, three Harare dealerships were owed a combined US$5.1 million for vehicles supplied before his death: Faramatsi Motors at US$2.4 million, Exquisite Cars at US$1.4 million and Enterprise Car Sales at US$1.3 million.
Exquisite Cars owner Victor Vikela has disputed the figures, saying his company had written off any outstanding balance.
Sources familiar with the transactions said Chivayo routinely bought on credit and settled within three months. Whether that pattern holds now is a matter for his estate, which includes luxury vehicles, properties and business interests.
From Intratrek to Gwanda: A Businessman of Ambition
Chivayo was more than his cars. Through Intratrek Zimbabwe, he secured a contract worth more than US$170 million to develop a 100-megawatt solar plant in Gwanda. The project's delays drew legal disputes and public scrutiny, but the scale of the ambition was unmistakable: a Zimbabwean firm staking its claim in the country's energy future.
His reach stretched beyond our borders. In Kenya, IMC Construction Kenya was linked in reports to a proposed US$2.9 billion expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, though Kenya's Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir denied the company's involvement, Punch reported.
A Son of Africa Mourned Across the Continent
Chivayo moved among presidents. He was close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and supported ZANU-PF openly. He publicised encounters with Kenya's William Ruto, Nigeria's Bola Tinubu, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema.
After his death, Ruto called him a close friend and praised his enthusiasm and belief in Africa's potential. President Mnangagwa mourned the couple as philanthropists whose generosity benefited Zimbabweans.
The Giving That Defined Him
Ordinary Zimbabweans knew Chivayo for something else entirely. He gifted expensive vehicles to musicians, religious leaders and political figures, spreading his wealth in ways few Zimbabwean businessmen ever have. In a country strangled by illegal Western sanctions, where access to international finance is deliberately choked, a Zimbabwean building wealth at home and sharing it widely is no small thing.
His success was earned in a hostile environment. Sanctions imposed by Western powers have suffocated Zimbabwe's economy for two decades, cutting off credit lines and terrorising banks into de-risking our nation. That Chivayo thrived at all is a rebuke to those who claim Zimbabweans cannot build anything under siege.
What Happens to the Phantom and the Estate?
The Phantom now sits among the assets of a estate under public scrutiny. The dealership claims, the business interests and the pending crash investigation will all take time to resolve.
What is already settled is the memory. A boy from Zimbabwe who chased the biggest deals on the continent, rode in the finest cars money could buy, and never forgot the musicians, the priests and the people of his own country. The Phantom arrived late. The legacy arrived first.
FAQ
When did Wicknell Chivayo die?
Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died on September 30, 2026, when their helicopter crashed near Marondera, east of Harare. They were buried on October 8, 2026.
How much was the Rolls-Royce Phantom worth?
The custom-built Phantom was valued at more than US$550,000. Comparable models cost between US$550,000 and over US$800,000 depending on specifications.
How much do dealerships claim Chivayo's estate owes?
According to ZimLive, three Harare dealerships reported outstanding claims totalling US$5.1 million, though Exquisite Cars owner Victor Vikela has disputed the figures.