Lavish spender Chivayo donates US$1 million to Mnangagwa-supporting Zion Christian Church

ZIMSPHERE 

MASVINGO – Wicknell Chivayo, a businessman known for his lavish spending and support of the ruling Zanu PF, has donated US$1 million to the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). The church's leaders have publicly pledged their support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

President Mnangagwa seen here giving a "golden handshake" to Zanu-PF benefactor Wicknell Chivayo 

Chivayo was among the delegates at a large congregation organized by the ZCC in Mbungo, Masvingo, which President Mnangagwa also attended. 

Chivayo, whose wealth source is unclear, has been gifting cars to public figures who have openly backed the ruling party.

It's widely speculated that Chivayo is gaining access to substantial public funds via non-transparent government tenders often awarded to those closely linked to the ruling elite. 

His donation to the ZCC aligns with his pattern of sharing his wealth with groups and individuals closely associated with Zanu PF.

The ZCC, led by the contentious cleric Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, boasts a membership exceeding 250,000, making it one of the country's largest religious organizations. 

The church publicly endorsed Mnangagwa's candidacy ahead of the August 2023 elections.

During a gathering to commemorate the death of the church's founder, Reverend Samuel Mutendi, at Defe Dopota Gokwe South, which Mnangagwa also attended, Mutendi urged the church's followers to vote for Mnangagwa. 

He stated, "We must vote for a leader who will protect our land, our culture, and our way of life and that man is President Mnangagwa".