Key Facts
- Businessman Wicknell Chivayo is currently renting a private jet from Bestfly Aruba while his usual aircraft, ZS-ACT, remains parked in Basel, Switzerland, for what he describes as maintenance, according to political commentator Phrophet DrCde Prof Madzibaba Adamski Jahman’s X post dated April 26, 2026.
- In early 2024, Zimbabwe Defence Industries vetted a legitimate supplier for auxiliary ammunition and equipment at US$20 million; the same request later reappeared with Wicknell Chivayo as lead supplier at $69 million, the commentator claims.
- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe IT systems upgrade tender, originally won at $10 million by a capable company, was cancelled and re-awarded to Wicknell Chivayo in mid-2024 for $50 million—five times the initial quote—per the allegations.
- The original RBZ IT experts reportedly returned as subcontractors at their original fee while Wicknell Chivayo retained a $40 million markup, the post states.
- Combined, the two deals allegedly extracted roughly $89 million in pure profit from Zimbabwe’s public purse, the X post asserts.
- Wicknell Chivayo continues high-profile spending, including a $750,000 Bentley purchase and $10,000-per-hour Gulfstream rentals, despite the contracts’ scale, according to Jahman Adamski.
Timeline
Sequence of Events
- Early 2024: Zimbabwe Defence Industries identifies a supplier for ammunition and equipment at a clean US$20 million quote; Treasury delays payment before the contract shifts to Wicknell Chivayo at $69 million.
- Mid-2024: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe cancels an existing $10 million IT systems tender, pressures the original winner to drop legal action, and re-awards the project to Wicknell Chivayo for $50 million.
- April 2026: Wicknell Chivayo’s aircraft ZS-ACT sits grounded in Basel, Switzerland, while he rents a jet from Bestfly Aruba.
- April 26, 2026: Political commentator Phrophet DrCde Prof Madzibaba Adamski Jahman publishes a detailed X thread exposing the alleged $89 million in combined markups and calls for closer scrutiny.
