Questions surrounding Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo have resurfaced after South African financial authorities examined transactions involving a company that supplied election materials to Zimbabwe during the 2023 elections.
The developments have also drawn attention in Kenya because of Chivayo’s publicly known association with President William Ruto.
Chivayo is a prominent Zimbabwean businessman and socialite who has built a strong public profile through his political connections, business activities and displays of wealth. He has frequently been seen with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and has also developed a visible relationship with Ruto.
Photographs and public engagements have shown Chivayo meeting Ruto, including encounters at State House in Nairobi and during the President’s travels. Chivayo has spoken warmly about Ruto and has highlighted their interactions in connection with investment and development.
The financial scrutiny, however, centres on a major election-related contract in Zimbabwe. Johannesburg-based printing company Ren-Form was contracted to supply election materials to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the 2023 polls.
Reports based on an analysis by South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre indicate that Ren-Form received more than one billion rand from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. More than 800 million rand was subsequently transferred to accounts linked to businesses associated with Chivayo.
Some of the money was later moved into personal accounts connected to Chivayo, with part of the funds reportedly linked to purchases including vehicles. These movements raised questions for financial authorities about how public money was handled after leaving government accounts.
The concerns did not begin with the South African review. Zimbabwean media and civil society groups had previously questioned the prices attached to some of the election materials. Documents reportedly showed significant mark-ups on items including servers and portable toilets compared with their market prices.
Chivayo was described as an intermediary in the arrangement, while Zimbabwe’s Anti-Corruption Commission previously opened an inquiry into the matter. The South African Financial Intelligence Centre shared information with authorities in Zimbabwe, bringing the transactions under additional scrutiny.
But there is an important distinction. South African police have clarified that there is currently no active criminal case registered against Chivayo over this specific matter. The Financial Intelligence Centre mainly analyses financial information and shares intelligence with relevant authorities. It does not itself determine criminal guilt.
Chivayo and his representatives have strongly denied wrongdoing. They maintain that the payments were part of legitimate commercial transactions and argue that no underlying crime has been established. They have also pointed to the absence of a direct contract between Chivayo and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Despite those explanations, the case has attracted attention because of the huge amounts involved, the use of intermediaries and the movement of funds across borders. It has also placed Chivayo’s relationship with Ruto under greater public scrutiny.
The issue raises questions about how politically connected businesspeople gain access to powerful leaders and how large public contracts are handled. It also highlights the ability of financial records to expose complex transactions long after money has moved between companies, countries and personal accounts.
The available information points to regulatory scrutiny rather than a proven criminal offence against Chivayo. Whether the matter will result in further investigations, charges or other official action remains to be determined by the relevant authorities.
