In a chilling exposé that has sent shockwaves through Zimbabwean political circles, businessman Wicknell Chivayo has been caught on a leaked audio recording bragging about his grip on President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The recording, verified by investigative outlet The NewsHawks, has exposed the disturbing extent of Chivayo’s alleged influence and the alarming entanglement of personal power with national governance.
Chivayo is no stranger to controversy. Known for his lavish lifestyle and unexplained wealth, he has long been accused of profiting from proximity to power. But in this audio, reportedly captured without his knowledge, he takes his arrogance to another level. He describes having a vice-like grip on the President, implying that he can manipulate decisions at the highest levels of government. He does not speak like a supporter or an ally. He speaks like the man pulling the strings behind the throne.
At the heart of Chivayo’s influence is a string of government tenders, most notably the failed US$173 million Gwanda solar project. His company, Intratrek, was paid US$5.8 million in advance and delivered nothing of value. Yet instead of prosecution or penalties, Chivayo has flourished, building even stronger ties with the leadership. He recounts being personally escorted by Mnangagwa on a red carpet to catch an international flight. That is not a business transaction. That is worship. That is capture.
Chivayo’s audacity does not end with the President. In the same recording, he claims deep connections with Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. He boasts of offering them money and gifts, weaving himself into the very fabric of the political elite. He even reveals that his travels across Uganda and Tanzania are not to seek investment but to secure more tenders from African governments. What Zimbabwe sees as a businessman is actually a professional tender hunter feeding off state contracts while offering nothing back to the people.
Worse still is Chivayo’s admission of using proceeds from a US$40 million tender with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to buy loyalty within ZANU PF. He boasts of giving out luxury cars and cash to party members. The same tender was supposed to ensure transparency and democracy during elections. Instead, it was allegedly used to oil a corrupt political machine and deepen patronage within the ruling party.
Some have rushed to dismiss the recording as fake but The NewsHawks confirmed both the audio and the documents backing Chivayo’s claims. This is not just gossip. This is evidence. This is a mirror held up to a rotten system where business deals and political power are exchanged in dark rooms at the expense of national interest.
This scandal is not about one man. It is about the system that allowed him to rise. It is about the President who walks red carpets with crooks. It is about a government that continues to reward failure with more contracts. Chivayo did not expose himself. He exposed an entire culture of impunity where connections matter more than competence and where public resources are looted while citizens go hungry.
For Zimbabweans struggling with inflation, joblessness, and poor public services, this revelation is salt on an open wound. It confirms what many already suspected. That the country is not being led but looted. That tenders are not won but bought. That the government does not serve the people but a small circle of untouchables who believe they are above the law.
The time for silence is over. Zimbabwe deserves better than a captured state. This is not a democracy if one businessman can brag about owning the President. It is a scam. And it must end.
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