“Chivayo’s Money Is Not Dirty”: Bishop Mutendi Hits Back At NGO Funding

The leader of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, has hit back at critics who questioned his acceptance of lavish gifts, including cash and cars, from the controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo.

Over several years, Chivayo has presented Mutendi with luxury vehicles and substantial cash donations, with a total estimated value exceeding US$4 million.

These high-end acquisitions include a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, a Range Rover Autobiography SV, and a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series, alongside multimillion-dollar contributions toward church projects.

Addressing the 2026 Annual Easter Conference at Mbungo City of Peace in Masvingo, Mutendi told President Emmerson Mnangagwa—who was in attendance—that he expects further support from Chivayo and other businesspeople of similar standing.

“Wicknell Chivayo is helping us. Some people even told me I was receiving dirty money, that it had blood,” said Mutendi.

He claimed that money channelled through NGOs by Western powers like the United States is “dirty,” whereas Chivayo’s millions are not.

“So the money you receive from America, the donations and aid, is not dirty money when we see them overthrowing governments, taking other countries’ oil?

“We will be writing to the President to tour our new university, and as part of fundraising, we will request more donations, strictly from local businesspeople,” said Mutendi.

Chivayo, who is widely regarded as Mnangagwa’s “right-hand man”, is frequently seen in the inner circle of power.

His proximity to the Presidency is evidenced by his regular appearances at State House and his presence among top-tier government officials at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, where he has even been observed leaning familiarly against the President’s official vehicle upon arrival.

In 2024, Chivayo began his streak of donations to the ZCC by presenting the church leadership with a Toyota Hilux GR Sport and a Toyota Fortuner VX, followed by a US$1 million contribution during the Easter Conference at Mbungo to fund schools, clinics, and clean water initiatives.

The scale of his generosity intensified over the subsequent years. In 2025, he gifted Bishop Mutendi a Range Rover Autobiography SV and provided a Mercedes-Benz Maybach GL600 specifically to replace the Range Rover, which had been damaged.

During the same period, he handed over a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series to the Bishop’s wife.

By 2026, these donations reached new heights when Chivayo presented the Bishop with a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680 alongside a staggering cash donation of US$2 million for the church.