The bodies of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke have been placed in luxury car-inspired coffins ahead of their burial in Harare.
Photos circulating on social media show the ornate coffins at a location in the capital as funeral preparations continue.
Chivayo, aged 46, and Muteke, 35, died on 30 September when the private helicopter they were travelling in crashed at Kudenga Farm near Marondera, about 70 kilometres east of Harare.
The aircraft had taken off from the couple’s rural property in Gandami, Chikomba district. Also killed in the crash were pilot Calvin Tafirei Soda, co-pilot Courage Mutavirwa and security aide Saneliswe Magagula. There were no survivors.
The impact and a subsequent fire left the remains severely damaged. Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed that the couple’s heads were not recovered from the site. Forensic teams carried out DNA testing to identify the remains.
Because of the condition of the bodies, there will be no public viewing.
Chivayo and Muteke belonged to the Johane Masowe yeChishanu church, whose members are normally buried without coffins. Church leader Madzibaba Lawrence Katsiru said an exception would be made in this case. The condition of the remains after the crash made traditional burial practices impractical, he explained during the wake at the couple’s home in Gletwyn.
The family has chosen Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare for the burial, scheduled for Thursday 8 October at 2pm. The couple will be laid to rest side by side in separate graves.
The ceremony is open to the public. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who described Chivayo as a personal friend, granted him provincial hero status. Chivayo’s coffin was draped with the Zimbabwean flag.
Hundreds of mourners, many dressed in white, gathered at the family home on Wednesday as the remains were collected from the parlour and brought to lie in state. Dignitaries and government officials were among those who attended. The three other people killed in the crash have already been buried.
Chivayo was a well-known businessman linked to major infrastructure projects and known for his high public profile and philanthropy.
His sudden death, together with that of his wife, has drawn widespread attention across Zimbabwe. Investigations into the cause of the helicopter crash are continuing.
