Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo was arrested by members of the security services in the early hours of Sunday. While it is clear that the businessman was apprehended no one seems to be willing to state for the record the identity of the parties which arrested him. Chivayo is reported to have been picked up around 5 am in a predawn raid by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Serious Fraud Squad although other reports say he was picked up by members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF). Chivayo’s lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu confirmed that his client had been arrested although he admitted that he was not sure if Wicknell had been picked up by the police or the military. Mpofu was also not sure of the whereabouts of his client or the charges that led to his arrest.
The flamboyant businessman was allegedly arrested over his irregular dealing with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). Chivayo was advanced $5 million in controversial circumstances by the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) when his company, Intratek 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 (ZPC) taking over the management of the project. The ZPC has since announced that the project has been contracted to another entity. Intratek got the US$5 million advance after then Minister of Energy, Samuel Undenge irregularly directed ZPC, a subsidiary of ZESA, to make the payment before any work had been commenced.
Chivayo’s company has also won most of the tenders from ZESA, namely:
- US$200 million Gwanda Solar Project
- US$ 73 million Harare Power Station Refurbishment
- US$163 million Munyati Power Station Restoration
- US$248 million Gairezi Power Project
In the immediate aftermath of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ Operation Restore Legacy, which the military claimed was targeting the criminals around former president Robert Mugabe, Chivayo made a number of public statements in which he claimed that he was not worried about getting arrested. The businessman who is a convicted felon denied that he was a criminal and claimed that his hands are clean. The outspoken businessman has also been at pains to distance himself from any faction in Zanu-PF after the fall of Robert Mugabe and the G40 Faction. Chivayo, who calls himself Sir Wickenell, used to brag about how he was connected to the first family and used to share photos of influential people including those of former first lady Grace Mugabe. Speaking to H-Metro, Chivayo once said:
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.
…the ZPC tender, which Intratrek Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd has an irrevocable and irreversible signed EPC contract. The company is compliant with the contractual obligations enshrined in its EPC contract for the 100 MW Gwanda project. Intratrek won this tender as lowest bidder to specification under an open tender process above board. Contractually Intratrek is answerable to the employer ZPC who are the owners of the project. The 2 parties are aligned in the progress and execution of this project and work is currently in progress at the power station site and proceeding in good order. The calls for anyone’s arrest are therefore malicious and unfounded and should be dismissed as mere speculation and conjecture.
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