Zimbabwean billionaire Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died after a private helicopter they were traveling in crashed in eastern Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
Family spokesman Herbert Chivayo said the couple was traveling with four others when the helicopter crashed in Marondera, the capital of Mashonaland East province, east of the capital Harare.
“We are at a loss for words after the tragic news,” he told the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
Earlier, government spokesman Nick Mangwana confirmed the crash, saying the helicopter was carrying “a prominent businessman, three other passengers and two pilots.”
“Current information indicates that there were no survivors in this crash. We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the victims, their families and their friends during this difficult time,” Mangwana said on US social media company X.
Zimbabwe police spokesman Paul Nyathi also confirmed the crash, saying six people were on board the helicopter.
Chivayo, 42, was a prominent businessman known for his extravagant lifestyle. He also had close ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).
