Wicknell Chivayo has revealed that prominent church leaders Emmanuel Makandiwa and his wife Ruth declined an undisclosed gift he had intended for them, opting instead to offer prayers on his behalf.
In contrast, several other religious leaders, including Talent Madungwe, Nehemiah Mutendi, Ian Ndlovu, Walter Magaya and Trymore Muparinga, accepted vehicles and cash gifts Chivayo offered them.
He further disclosed that ZAOGA Forward in Faith leader Eunor Guti and Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president Nqobile Magwizi also declined his gifts.
Chivayo made the remarks while responding to criticism from former legislator Temba Mliswa, who had questioned the value of his high-profile gifting spree, describing the distribution of vehicles and large sums of money to influential figures as actions that serve little public purpose.
“If I wake up tomorrow morning, open Facebook or Twitter and come across a VIDEO, a story or an achievement that IMPRESSES ME in any way or makes me laugh, I solely reserve the right to celebrate that person in the way I feel best fitting,” wrote Chivayo.
“In retrospect, a few have declined donations I offered them, and there were never any hard feelings whatsoever.
“Known examples are Mrs Guti from ZAOGA, President of ZIFA Magwizi and even Prophet Makandiwa and his wife, who instead gratuitously offered to invite me to his house to PRAY for me to have more blessings in order to BLESS others.”
In 2025, Eunor Guti, the widow of the late Archbishop Ezekiel Guti, confirmed that she had turned down a gift of cash and a luxury vehicle from an unnamed benefactor, widely believed to be Chivayo.
A few months earlier, Chivayo had announced the proposed donation on social media, describing it as a tribute to the legacy of Archbishop Guti.
He said the package included a brand-new 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series VXR, which he claimed had already been fully paid for and was ready for collection, subject to approval from ZAOGA’s Governing Board. He also mentioned an additional US$250,000 meant for fuel and personal upkeep.
Guti said she was later approached late at night by an emissary sent to persuade her to accept the vehicle from someone she had never personally met.
She said there were further attempts to pressure her into accepting the offer, but she stood her ground, citing the values upheld by her late husband, who had consistently avoided accepting personal gifts of that nature.
Guti stressed that she wanted no involvement with either the vehicle or the money, whether for personal use or church-related purposes.
Magwizi said he also declined two vehicles offered by Chivayo, citing strict ethical standards in football governance in line with FIFA regulations.
Speaking to ZIFA Media, Magwizi confirmed that he had been offered a 2026 Range Rover Sport valued at about US$250,000 as well as a Toyota Land Cruiser, but turned down both after consulting his governance team.
He said accepting such gifts would have created a clear conflict of interest, given Chivayo’s links to football clubs that fall under ZIFA’s regulatory oversight.
Chivayo said the refusals had not discouraged him from continuing with his acts of generosity.
“Philanthropy is VOLUNTARY and we all know Zimbabwe has an average of 16 Million plus people. Anoda anotambira murudo rwa Mwari, asingadi anoramba hake and I move on to the NEXT, the waiting list is too long,” wrote Chivayo.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply