Wait a minute!
He said it, he could not help everybody as there are “channels and procedures to follow to get in touch with me”.
These were the words from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who prefers to prefix his name with Sir, in a recent live interview on radio.
Just like any businessman, unless you have good relations with him, you are not allowed to pester him. Even the richest man in Africa, Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote, has a team, including secretaries, among others who help him run his empire.
In this case, it seems people have been too much on Chivayo and he came out to set the record straight.
If you are in Zimbabwe right now and you go on social media, the man of the moment is Chivayo.
The major reason people are going on social media is probably because they are checking on who is next in line to receive a new car. It can be a celebrity, musician or even you, depending on what Chivayo is desiring. Now, showbiz has moved from being a sector to being an industry because it is paying.
Of late, musicians like Jah Prayzah, Sulumani Chimbetu, Andy Muridzo, Sandra Ndebele, Matthias Mhere, Seh Calaz and Dj Fantan can testify that indeed music pays.
In past weeks, they have been smiling all the way home driving expensive cars.
These are some of those cars they probably used to see in international videos, admiring and wishing if they could drive them one day.
Lady Luck has eventually found them.
Perhaps it is a blessing — being selected among hundreds of local artistes in Zimbabwe to receive a car from Chivayo.
He has spent over US$400 000 buying musicians cars, including the 50 members of his congregation he gifted with Toyota Aqua vehicles.
A lot has been said and written about Chivayo, what he can be accredited for is that he has remained thick-skinned.
In 2022, Tesla Motors chief executive and billionaire, Elon Musk donated roughly US$5,7 billion worth of the electric carmaker’s shares to charity. The donation of 5 044 000 shares was revealed in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The charitable giving made Musk the second biggest US donor in 2021.
Musk trails only Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, who gave US$15 billion last year, in an annual ranking by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Now, Zimbabwe is not being left behind, thanks to the generosity of Chivayo.
Recently, he said he looked forward to becoming a billionaire.
He even opened up in one interview that his faith in God is the driving force behind his generosity.
“It is a widely known fact that Sir Wicknell is a devout member of the Johane Masowe eChishanu Apostolic Sect, and I am proud of that nekuti ndinonamata Mwari anoita zvishamiso pasi pezuva. Kumasowe tinoti chinotanga rudo, kotevera tsitsi nekunamata,” he said in a recent interview with Zimpapers Radio’s Capitalk 100.4FM.
“This is also Biblical. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says ‘So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ So every donation or benevolence is motivated and inspired by the need to show love for others.”
Following his recent lavish spending which has brought so much speculation on social media, Chivayo shed more light in an interview on Capitalk 100.4FM.
He said he obtains his wealth from his various businesses transcending national boundaries.
“I have a lot of businesses in the region, for example in Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, but my main focus is in renewal energy, participating mostly in Government tenders for engineering procurement and construction power projects.
“So, more like the Gwanda solar project where we team up with rich companies overseas in China, Germany among others. In South Africa, I have a company that exports fuel to Lesotho.”
Chivayo said he loves to be adventurous.
“I love trying new things, for example in 2012 I brought the idea of solar energy to Zimbabwe and I inspired a lot of people and ended up seeing many people saying they are doing the same thing.
Chivayo was inspired by the way he was raised and how he got helped by his father’s friends after his demise.
“I grew up in a background where I got assistance from strangers after my father passed on and I thought I would go to a rural school because my mother did not have money, but it was not the case.
“I went to a boarding group A school. Alex Mashamanda is one of the people who came to my rescue when my father passed away and he treated me like his own son.”
Chivayo said he only gifts committed Zanu PF supporters and also those who are committed to serving the Lord.
“I and my family are proud Zanu PF supporters, so when I am giving musicians I do it based on affiliation,” he said. “There is no way I am going to buy a gift for the opposition party.
“I once said that on my birthday I would choose musicians who support Zanu PF to give them cars, so I followed through all rallies to see the musicians that were proud to support the ruling party because some, they are undecided as to which party they should support.
“When it comes to gifting people in the church, I look at one’s commitment to God who does not expect anything in return from the church. (Madzibaba) Katsiru is the one who helps me choose people who are committed.
“I do not know all my fellow church members by their names, but I just know their faces. If it’s a prophecy I would be looking for those who are committed to helping people and not targeting me because I am rich. All those who portrayed such characters in Marondera have their cars and houses.”
He said there were procedures that needed to be followed for one to be rendered help.
“I cannot help everybody, there are channels which are followed,” he said.
“If one has a genuine problem, for example from masowe, maybe there is a pupil who excelled in A Level, if they approach me in a good manner, I will help them.
“I have some who are in Austria, Canada, among other countries, after I realised that they need a hand for them to express heir talent.”
Chivayo said he made sure he provided everything for his wife so that when he gets to give to other people she would not complain.
“I also even look after her family, recently I bought her father a car because I see him as my father too.
“I also followed my prophecy which was that I was going to be a billionaire and I even went to sleep in the mountain because I wanted to be a billionaire. I was also advised to continue helping people doing charity work despite the circumstances.”
Chivayo said he did not want to get involved in politics, but he just wanted to be associated with politicians.
“I just want to be a billionaire, not a politician, I want to be just close to politicians. So, I don’t want to be seen interfering in Government policies, it will look like I am campaigning for a political position or trying to fight with the Government,.
Chivayo said he wanted to be remembered for the good works which he did in the country.
“I want to leave a legacy where people will remember me with generous work and also my prayerful life,” he said.
“It was prophesied in 1994 in Nkayi that there is going to be an apostolic member who will be very rich and he will buy cars for apostolic members like he is buying buns.”
