By A Correspondent
Controversial Zimbabwean businessman and Zanu PF ally, Wicknell Chivayo, has sparked concern and curiosity after he was granted an audience with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan this week — a high-profile meeting that is raising eyebrows across the region.
Chivayo, who has deep ties to Zimbabwe’s First Family and is widely accused of looting state funds through dubious government tenders, posted a glowing tribute to President Suluhu on social media after the meeting, describing her as “the matriarch of Africa.”
“Yesterday, I had the immeasurable honour of once again meeting Her Excellency, President Samia Suluhu Hassan,” Chivayo wrote.
“In her, I always see the embodiment of motherly strength, wisdom and the dignified grace that only a true matriarch of Africa can carry.”
While Chivayo used the occasion to praise female leadership across Africa, political observers are asking a different question: What was Wicknell Chivayo doing in a high-level meeting with the Tanzanian Head of State?
Back home in Zimbabwe, Chivayo has become synonymous with corruption allegations, often appearing in the headlines for his lavish lifestyle funded, critics allege, by taxpayer money through inflated or non-delivered government contracts.
His close relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the First Family has enabled him to remain untouched by the law, even amid mounting evidence and public outcry.
Given this background, Chivayo’s red-carpet treatment in Tanzania has alarmed transparency watchdogs. Some are questioning whether Chivayo is now attempting to export his controversial tender dealings to neighboring countries under the guise of regional business relations.
“How does a businessman under constant scrutiny for corruption manage to secure repeated audiences with a foreign Head of State?” one regional analyst asked.
“It raises legitimate concerns over what exactly is being discussed behind closed doors—and whether Tanzania is being misled.”
Chivayo’s carefully curated image as a Pan-African philanthropist and businessman stands in stark contrast to his record in Zimbabwe, where his name has become synonymous with scandal, including the failed Gwanda solar project and other contracts awarded without due process.
As Tanzanian officials remain tight-lipped about the purpose of the meeting, speculation continues to mount. Was it merely a courtesy call, or is Chivayo laying the groundwork for new business deals in Tanzania—possibly under questionable terms?
With governance and transparency under the spotlight across Africa, critics say this is more than just a photo op. “It’s time for Tanzanian authorities to ask who Wicknell Chivayo really is, and what his intentions are,” said one political commentator. “Africa cannot afford to export corruption.”
For now, the details remain unclear. But one thing is certain—Wicknell Chivayo’s meeting with President Suluhu has added a new chapter to a saga that continues to blur the lines between politics, power, and profit.