Barely a week after receiving a brand new 2024 Toyota Fortuner from controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo, Daisy Mtukudzi, widow of late music icon Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, has been involved in a car accident.
The accident occurred at the Warren Park roundabout in Harare, with images of the vehicle’s damaged left side circulating widely on social media. Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident are still emerging.
The gift of the vehicle, a lavish gesture from Chivayo, was presented amidst a backdrop of considerable family tension. The timing of the gift, coinciding with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday celebrations, raised eyebrows given the recent public airing of grievances by Tuku’s daughters, Selmor and Sandra, against their stepmother.
Chivayo, known for his extravagant public displays of wealth, announced the gift on social media. His message to Daisy read: “Please go and see my brother KELVIN at Auto-Expo Car Sales on Cleveland Rd in Milton Park, opposite Prince Edward Boys High School. Your beautiful BRAND NEW 2024 TOYOTA FORTUNER 2.4D is fully paid for and ready for collection immediately. Please accept this small token of appreciation for your late husband’s significant and priceless contribution to the music industry.” He lauded Tuku’s musical legacy, mentioning iconic songs like “Hazvireve rudo handina,” “Mutserendende,” and “Right Direction,” and their impact both locally and internationally.
The gift, however, came against a backdrop of accusations levelled against Daisy by Tuku’s daughters, who recently spoke out about alleged mistreatment and neglect during their childhood. This family conflict reached a peak at the inaugural Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts (OMIFA).
Selmor Mtukudzi, one of Tuku’s daughters, recounted her emotional experience at the festival.
“I was finally ready to take the stage at Pakare Paye. I had spent years asking my mother (Daisy) for permission to perform, but she always refused. So, finally getting this opportunity touched my heart deeply. The entire day was truly moving,” she revealed.
The sisters’ accounts paint a picture of a complex family dynamic, with accusations of mistreatment and a strained relationship between the daughters and their stepmother. The timing of Chivayo’s gift, therefore, appears to be a gesture intended to either support Daisy amidst the family conflict or perhaps to overshadow the ongoing controversy.
Regardless of the intention, the accident involving the newly gifted vehicle adds another layer of complexity to an already tense situation.
Interestingly, last week, another Wicknell Chivayo car recipient, Prophet Talent Madungwe also crashed his Toyota Aqua that he received from the businessman some five months ago. Madungwe was arrested and hauled before Epworth magistrates court for driving without a driver’s license and negligent driving.
