Blantyre, Malawi – Controversial Zimbabwe businessman, Wicknell Chivayo met with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera at State House in Blantyre.
”Yesterday, I was profoundly hounoured to pay a brief courtesy call on His Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera at the iconic State House in Blantyre,” Chivhayo wrote on social media.
”Your Excellency, President Chakwera, my heartfelt gratitude for accommodating me in your busy schedule and for our enriching dialogue on various huge infrastructure development projects readily available for investors to develop and implement.”
Chivayo said he is supporting Chakwera’s party ahead of Malawi general elections pencilled for September this year.
Chivayo has met with Kenya President William Ruto and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in recent weeks.
The reasons for Chivayo’s easy access to regional leaders in Africa is not clear.
Chivayo source of wealth has been linked to Zimbabwe 2023 elections where he was allegedly awarded a multi-million dollar deal by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (,ZEC) to supply voting materials
He has been donating vehicles and cash like confetti at a wedding.
Chivayo is hated and liked by Zimbabweans in equal measure.
Some allege his wealth is out of corrupt activities but others say he is a hustler who has been lucky to get the much sought money in a country where hustling is the order of the day to survive.
In leaked audios Chivayo who meets Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa at his will, once said he has captured the veteran ruler and the state apparatus.
Mnangagwa has said nothing by the claims that ‘ndakachibata kuti dzvii’ which means he has captured the state.
State capture was serious issue in South Africa in the past years when the Gupta family captured president Jacob Zuma winning lucrative government tenders and having their voice in the appointing of government ministers.