My Hands Are Clean And I'm Not Hiding From The Military Says Wicknell Chivayo

Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has claimed that he is not in hiding and that he is not a criminal. Chivayo, who was once convicted of fraud, dismissed rumours that he was on the run from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) who allegedly wanted to arrest the businessman as one of the “criminals” around former President Robert Mugabe during “Operation Restore Legacy.” Chivayo claimed that he had served his time in prison and that he had reformed.

I might have made regrettable youthful misdemeanours in retrospect but that does not make me a criminal in any wide sense. At a time when constitutional matters are at the forefront, it is instructive to refer to the constitution, which promotes the integration of ex-convicts into society and treats them equally to other Zimbabweans. So it’s not correct to call me a criminal. My record as a non-partisan, non-factional patriot is what people should focus on instead of putting labels on me and casting aspersions on my character.

Chivayo also claimed that he was innocent of any wrongdoing after he was advanced $5 million in controversial circumstances by the ZPC when his company won the tender for the Gwanda Solar Power project. Despite receiving the money, no progress has been made on the project resulting in the Zimbabwe Power Company taking over the management of the project. The ZPC has announced that the project has been contracted to another entity.