MNANGAGWA’S ‘GOLDEN BOY’ IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been thrust into fresh controversy following explosive claims involving his close ally, flamboyant businessman Wicknell Chivayo, a man the President has publicly referred to as his “son”.
Chivayo is facing mounting accusations of looting public funds after allegedly securing a string of massively inflated government tenders across key state institutions.
Critics say Chivayo’s companies have benefited from sweetheart deals linked to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and the Ministry of Transport, with contracts allegedly awarded at eye-watering prices far above market value. The deals have triggered public outrage in a country battling economic collapse, crumbling infrastructure, and widespread poverty.
Opposition figures and civil society groups accuse the Mnangagwa administration of presiding over a system of patronage, where political proximity opens doors to state coffers.
While government officials deny wrongdoing, the scandal has intensified scrutiny on the President’s inner circle and fuelled growing anger among Zimbabweans who say the nation’s wealth is being siphoned off by the well-connected few.