Chivayo’s Children Set to Inherit Estate as Family Vows to Honour Late Tycoon’s Wishes
HARARE — The estate of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who died in a helicopter crash on 30 September 2026 alongside his wife Lucy Muteke, is expected to pass primarily to his two minor children under Zimbabwean succession laws, with family members publicly affirming the late tycoon’s expressed wishes and vowing to protect the inheritance.
Chivayo, 43 or 45 depending on records, and Muteke were among five people killed when their helicopter crashed near Marondera.
He is survived by two young children from his earlier relationship with Sonja Madzikanda: John Chenjerai Chivayo a boy born in January 2018 and Attara Minana Chivayo, a girl born in March 2019.
Family spokesperson and uncle Herbert Chivayo told mourners this week, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, that the businessman had repeatedly stated his desire for the children to inherit most of his wealth.
“When he was alive he would say, ‘Dad, if I die ensure that my children get most of my wealth so that they will grow up to remember me,’” Herbert Chivayo said.
He added that the wider family had no intention of claiming the estate: “These kids are the rightful beneficiaries of their father’s estate and they will get everything.”
He appealed to Mnangagwa to intervene if anyone sought to undermine those wishes.
Madzikanda arrived at funeral gatherings on Thursday with the children, described in reports as the only children Chivayo left behind.
No independently audited valuation of Chivayo’s estate exists.
He publicly described himself as a “centi-millionaire” worth more than US$100 million, a figure widely repeated in media accounts alongside references to luxury vehicles, private jets and properties in Harare, Cape Town and Eswatini.
Chivayo gave the court a figure of about US$25 million (roughly R400–416 million) in connection with a halted matrimonial and asset dispute with Madzikanda; his death removed related Supreme Court proceedings from the court roll.
Contract values linked to his companies, including energy projects approaching or exceeding US$1 billion, do not equate to personal net worth.
Legal Expert, Tony Nyamadzawo told Mopane News that debts, taxes, creditor claims and any outstanding obligations must be settled first under the Administration of Estates Act [Chapter 6:01].
“If Chivayo left a valid will under the Wills Act [Chapter 6:06], the estate would generally be distributed according to its terms. Zimbabwe law recognises broad freedom of testation, though provisions cannot completely defeat a surviving spouse’s or children’s rights to basic support in certain circumstances,” he said.
“In the absence of a valid will (intestacy), the Deceased Estates Succession Act [Chapter 6:02] or relevant provisions of the Administration of Estates Act apply, depending on whether general or customary law governed the deceased. Because Muteke died in the same incident, there is no surviving spouse,” he said.
“Where a person dies leaving children but no surviving spouse, the net estate typically devolves upon the children in equal shares (or their descendants per stirpes). All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, generally share equally under the applicable rules once debts are cleared,” he said
Nyamadzawo said Madzikanda, as the children’s mother and primary caregiver under prior court arrangements, holds no automatic personal inheritance rights as a former partner.
High Court proceedings earlier this year finalised a US$5 million maintenance package for the children (part already paid and invested, with Chivayo retaining oversight), while broader claims by Madzikanda for a larger asset share and spousal maintenance remained contested and unresolved at the time of Chivayo’s death.
Family statements indicate an intention to honour Chivayo’s reported preference that the children receive the bulk of what remains.
Formal administration, including notification of death, appointment of an executor and preparation of accounts, is required by law and can take months or longer depending on complexity and any disputes.