In a display of political patronage that has ignited a firestorm of debate, controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has gifted the ten provincial chairpersons of ZANU PF with a combined fortune in luxury cars and cash. The extravagant gesture, announced on September 15, 2025, coincided with Munhumutapa Day and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 83rd birthday, adding a layer of political symbolism that has not been lost on a nation facing profound economic challenges.
The ten ZanuPF prov chairs who received the cars and $100 000 are:
Bulawayo Jabu Sibanda
Harare G Masimirembwa
Manicaland T Mukodza
Mash Central K Kazembe
MashEast D Garwe
MashWest Mary Mliswa
Masvingo R Mavhenyengwa
Mat North Richard Moyo
Mat South Mangaliso Ndlovu
Midlands Edson Chiherenge
The gifts are as eye-watering as they are contentious. Each of the ten provincial leaders received a brand-new 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series VXR, a vehicle with a market value of US
Chivayo, a self-described ZANU PF loyalist, framed the gesture as a “small token of appreciation” for the party’s grassroots leaders. In a post on X, he apologized for not having made the donation sooner, particularly after the party’s “resounding victory in the 2023 harmonised elections.” He claimed the cash component was intended for “small development and empowerment initiatives” within their respective provinces.
The donation comes just days before the ZANU PF’s annual conference in Mutare, where there is growing speculation about a “2030 agenda” to extend President Mnangagwa’s term beyond the constitutional limit of 2028.
