The remains of late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been taken from Doves Funeral Services in Harare to their family home in Gletwin, ahead of their burial on Thursday.
Hundreds of mourners thronged the streets of Harare as the funeral procession carrying the couple passed through the capital on its way to the Chivayo family home.
Chivayo’s coffin, marked WMC 777, was draped in the Zimbabwean national flag following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to confer on him Provincial Hero status.
The honour was announced by Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire when he visited Chivayo’s home.
“President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has granted late businessman Wicknell Chivayo Provincial Hero status,” Machakaire said.
He noted that the decision recognised Chivayo’s contributions to the ruling Zanu-PF party, churches and communities across Zimbabwe.
The remains were collected from the funeral parlour by members of the Chivayo and Muteke families, who arrived in a fleet of top-of-the-range vehicles.
The procession attracted attention across Harare, with mourners lining the streets as the vehicles made their way through the central business district towards Gletwin.
Earlier, family members, friends and other mourners had gathered at Doves Funeral Services for a memorial service ahead of the transfer of the bodies to the family home.
The funeral service began at Doves Olwen Crockery House, where Vapostori clergy presided over the proceedings in accordance with the couple’s church doctrine.
As the service continued, preparations were also in top gear at the Chivayo family home in Gletwin, where the couple will lie in state on Wednesday night.
The Provincial Hero status granted to Chivayo has added a state-recognition element to the funeral proceedings.
The couple will be buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park, where a host of foreign dignitaries, government leaders and guests are expected to attend the funeral.
The funeral has drawn significant public attention, with large crowds turning out along the route to witness the procession carrying the remains of the businessman and his wife.
Chivayo was widely known in Zimbabwe for his business interests and his high-profile public lifestyle, while his association with political and community activities also featured prominently in the government’s decision to confer Provincial Hero status on him.
He died on September 30 alongside his wife and three others in a chopper crash in the Marondera rural area, about 70km east of Harare.
A preliminary report into the crash is expected within 30 days, ministers said on Tuesday.
Information Minister Zhemu Soda, who spoke after a Cabinet meeting, said a full investigation had been instituted in line with the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Act.
He said preliminary investigations at the crash site had been completed and the wreckage had been recovered to Charles Prince Airport “to allow for detailed forensic examination including by international experts.”
At the family home, preparations continued ahead of the burial as relatives and friends gathered to receive the remains.
