HARARE, Zimbabwe — Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, and four other passengers have died after their helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera on Wednesday, September 30, at around 5:00 PM.
The fatal incident occurred shortly after two helicopters departed from Gandami in Chivhu. According to preliminary reports, the lead aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions and attempted to relay an urgent warning to the second chopper carrying Chivayo and his party, advising them to proceed with extreme caution. However, a communication breakdown prevented the crucial message from reaching the pilot.
While the lead helicopter landed safely in Marondera, the second aircraft went down minutes later. Relatives aboard the lead chopper were among the first responders to reach the scene.
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Investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) revealed that upon impact, the aircraft struck the ground and rolled approximately 100 meters across the terrain.
A sudden fuel leak ignited during the roll, creating a trail of fire that engulfed the wreckage as it came to a halt. Forensic teams and aviation safety inspectors recovered the helicopter’s black box intact on Wednesday night to determine the exact technical sequence of events.
Speaking from the scorched crash site, family representative Herbert Chivayo expressed deep grief, stating that the family was “truly at a loss for words.”
Government officials, including the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Felix Mhona, and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Itai Ndudzo, joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police at the scene as forensic teams worked to process the site and identify the victims.
Authorities confirmed that multi-agency investigations remain ongoing to establish all contributing factors behind the tragic accident.
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