Businessman and socialite Wicknell Chivayo has hit back at people he says celebrated after a luxury vehicle he donated to the late apostolic church leader Paul Mwazha was involved in a fatal crash along the Harare–Masvingo Highway.
One man died at the scene after a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 ZX collided head-on with a cattle-drawn scotch cart near Featherstone on Friday night. The crash happened at about 8pm, a few kilometres past Featherstone near the 58-kilometre peg, as the Land Cruiser travelled towards Harare.
Witnesses said the vehicle was attempting to overtake another car when it struck the scotch cart. The man leading the cart died on the spot. The cart was reportedly carrying another person who was being taken to hospital.
The driver of the Land Cruiser sustained serious injuries, while Ngoni Mwazha, the son of the late church leader and the vehicle’s owner, was also inside the car. He was taken for medical attention. The collision left the white luxury vehicle heavily damaged.
The Land Cruiser had been presented to Paul Mwazha in October 2025, shortly before the preacher died at the age of 107. It was part of an extravagant birthday gift from Chivayo that included US$107,000 in cash. The cash amount was chosen to match Mwazha’s age, while the vehicle was valued at about US$190,000.
Because Mwazha was already 107, the vehicle was mainly used by members of his family and church representatives. Ngoni Mwazha became closely associated with the car before Friday night’s crash.
The gift had attracted attention from the beginning. Chivayo selected a white Toyota Land Cruiser to reflect the white robes worn by members of the African Apostolic Church, commonly known as VaApostora veAfrica. In a message to the church, he instructed Mwazha’s representatives to collect the vehicle from Exquisite Car Dealership.
“Please kindly send your next of kin or church elders to go to Exquisite Car Dealership on Monday morning with registration instructions so that Victor can personally come and deliver your wonderful birthday present.”
Mwazha’s death on 20 November 2025 came only weeks after the presentation. He was the founder and leader of the African Apostolic Church and was widely known by his followers as Mutumwa Paul Mwazha.
“Just one vehicle I bought for Apostle Paul Mwazha was unfortunately involved in an accident yesterday, and suddenly the prophets of doom are everywhere with ridiculous theories and celebrations,” he wrote.
“After one person has broken the record in history on charity work in Zimbabwe and bought and donated well over US$100 million and 3,000 vehicles, when just ONE is involved in an accident, some people celebrate as though it proves something. What a shame. Poverty of the mind is far more dangerous than poverty of the pocket. What matters to me is that my Father in Heaven, the Almighty God, approves of what I am doing. He has shown me and communicated with me in so many ways, directly and indirectly. The Principal, who is the Head of State and Government, appreciates the work we are doing, so the noise makers and critics can relax. I will never stop. I will continue supporting the House of the Lord, uplifting His servants and advancing the work of the Kingdom of God against all odds as long as God gives me the means to do so.”
Chivayo has built a public image around large donations to church leaders, musicians, sports personalities and other prominent figures. His gifts have often included new vehicles, cash and other expensive items, making him a familiar figure at public handovers and religious gatherings.
The latest crash is not the first serious accident involving a vehicle connected to one of his donations. In May 2025, a Range Rover Autobiography SV bought for Zion Christian Church leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi was damaged while it was being collected before it reached its intended recipient.
The Range Rover, valued at about US$400,000, crashed near Featherstone, suffering heavy damage to its front and left side. Chivayo later replaced it with a 2025 Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS600, valued at about US$550,000. Mutendi had also received a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series as part of the same earlier donation. Chivayo said the vehicles were meant to support the bishop’s religious and charitable work.
Other vehicles presented to religious leaders have also been involved in road accidents. On 30 December 2024, two separate cars given to prominent apostolic church leaders crashed on the same day. Madzibaba Obey Mapuranga was involved in a collision while travelling towards Bulawayo, while Madzibaba Owen Velvet crashed while returning from Bulawayo in heavy rain.
A new Toyota Fortuner given to Daisy Mtukudzi, the widow of the late musician Oliver Mtukudzi, was also involved in a crash at the Warren Park roundabout in Harare in October 2024. Comedian Freddy “Kapfupi” Manjalima separately damaged a Toyota Aqua he had received from Chivayo. After appealing for help, he was given a replacement Aqua and additional cash.
The incidents have added to public interest in Chivayo’s gift-giving, particularly when the vehicles are involved in collisions soon after being handed over. But the businessman has continued to defend the donations and has shown no sign of abandoning them.
The Featherstone crash also occurred during a period of renewed concern over deadly collisions on Zimbabwe’s major highways. In July, Highlanders Football Club chairman Kenneth Mhlophe, vice-chairman Sifiso Siziba and treasurer Nkani Khoza died in a collision near Lochard, about 60 kilometres from Bulawayo. Their vehicle struck a cow that had strayed onto the road before moving into the path of an oncoming bus, according to accounts of the incident.
In August, at least 27 people died in another devastating crash near Chivhu on the Harare–Masvingo Highway. A commuter omnibus carrying church members collided head-on with a haulage truck at night. The truck was reported to have been overtaking another vehicle when it crashed into the minibus. The victims were travelling to a church conference, and the death toll later rose to 28 after another victim died from injuries.
The latest collision has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by motorists, pedestrians, animal-drawn carts and livestock users on long stretches of Zimbabwe’s highways. The Harare–Masvingo route carries heavy traffic between the capital and the country’s southern provinces, while roadside activity and night-time travel create added risks for road users.
For Chivayo, however, the main issue after the Featherstone tragedy has been the response to his donation. He has made clear that the loss of one vehicle will not change his approach, insisting that he will continue buying cars and supporting religious leaders as long as he has the means to do so.