Wicknell explains source of wealth
FLAMBOYANT businessman and philanthropist Mr Wicknell Chivayo has explained his source of wealth, saying he is involved in legitimate business interests which over the years have seen him accumulate a considerable amount of wealth.
Mr Chivayo has come under the spotlight over the last few weeks, as he splurged on a cars for various people, including musicians and members of the apostolic sect that he belongs to.
While some have complimented his giving nature, others have questioned the flashy businessman’s source of wealth.
In an interview on Capitalk 100.4FM’s Champions League Breakfast Show, Mr Chivayo said he had various business interests in a number of countries in the region, all of which were above board.
“I have a lot of businesses in the region, in Tanzania, in South Africa, Kenya but my main business is fuel and energy, participating in mostly government tenders for engineering procurement, construction and power projects like the Gwanda Solar Project. We team up with blue chip companies from other countries like China, Germany,” he said.
Mr Chivayo said he had been blessed with the ability to make any business he undertook thrive.
“It is more about grace, not what kind of business that I do. Even if I start selling tomatoes, they will start getting bought at such a fast pace you’ll start asking yourself ‘how is he selling tomatoes so fast?’” he said.
Mr Chivayo said his was a rags to riches tale, as he started out as monitoring a businessman’s buses when he was still in school. The businessman had been a friend of his father, who passed away when Mr Chivayo was still young.
“I was not a hwindi as such but when I finished school I realised that I needed to make money. My father passed away in 1990 and one of my father’s very close friends, Robson Musane of Musane buses said why don’t you come and work for me.
“You can be doing school at the same time but you can be working for me. He had five or six buses at Willowvale so he said come and work for me as a wages clerk. Then I started doing his wages and going to check on his buses that were going from Mbare Musika to Mt Darwin. I was more like a supervisor but we were very close and I was more like his child.”