Footage of Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo's ancestral homestead in Gandami, Chikomba District, has drawn fresh debate online. It shows traditional mud-and-thatch structures alongside ongoing building work.
The footage has drawn wide attention online, amid tributes following his death .
The crash
Chivayo and his wife were among those killed in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe's Marondera area on Wednesday. Police said the helicopter came down about 70km east of Harare, and all six people on board died.
A tale of two worlds
Chivayo was known for luxury cars and expensive urban property. He reportedly bought a US$7 million Harare mansion once owned by former police chief Augustine Chihuri.
The Gandami footage shows something very different. Some users were surprised.
What users said on X
- @spencer19912: "Wait, what? He feared constructing houses in his village because he would be sacrificed."
- @justussila6: "Chivayo naye kwani he was luopian?"
- @MKitove: "This is what village houses should look like. It shouts African life. I love it."
- @zibana_ingana: "Aaah… with big money… no valuable house?"
Roots in Gandami
His father, Isaac Mathias Chivayo, died in a car accident when he was about ten. The sudden loss shifted the family's world overnight, leaving his mother, Canisia Chivayo, to raise the children under challenging circumstances in their rural homestead.
The story of Gandami remains a core chapter in the businessman’s narrative, highlighting the dramatic contrast between his humble rural beginnings and his later high-profile lifestyle.
The March video
Earlier this year, people mocked the state of his rural home. Chivayo replied with a video of his visit to the farm.
He arrived in two helicopters, one for him and one for his security team. He also showed buildings, vehicles and other assets on the property.
He said his grandfather bought the 400-hectare farm with cash in 1962 and built the houses. They carry strong sentimental value, he said, which is why they have not been heavily renovated.
"Enough said." — Wicknell Chivayo, closing his reply to critics
He pointed to a kitchen where he said he slept as a child with his grandmother and siblings.
In Southern Africa, rural homesteads often serve cultural purposes. Families keep them for ceremonies and gatherings, even when they live in cities.
