Zimbabwe: Wicknell Chivayo Church Donations Spark Proceeds of Crime Concerns

• Prominent Zimbabwean church leaders have been observed accepting lavish donations, including luxury vehicles and substantial cash, from figures like convicted fraudster Wicknell Chivayo.
• Recipients include ZCC’s Nehemiah Mutendi, various apostolic sects, gospel musicians, and UFIC’s Emmanuel Makandiwa, who reportedly accepted one million dollars.
• Chivayo is linked to allegations of securing public contracts through dubious means, including the Gwanda Solar Power Plant Project which produced no power.
• South African financial authorities flagged R800 million (US$42 million) deposited into Chivayo-linked accounts after Ren-Form CC received R1.1 billion from Zimbabwe’s Treasury for inflated election materials; however, South African authorities have since confirmed no active investigation into him regarding these claims, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission found no evidence linking him to alleged fraudulent dealings with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
• Critics argue these funds are proceeds of crime, diverting resources from public hospitals, schools, and infrastructure, and pose a significant ethical challenge for religious institutions.

Every dollar accepted from these tenderpreneurs is money that could have been allocated to public hospitals for life-saving medication and functional equipment, or to primary schools where children often lack basic textbooks and sit on cold concrete floors.

A growing trend of prominent Zimbabwean church leaders accepting lavish donations from figures embroiled in corruption allegations has sparked widespread public concern and a crisis of faith among many. At the forefront of this phenomenon is Wicknell Chivayo, a convicted fraudster and tenderpreneur, who has been observed distributing substantial sums of money and luxury vehicles to various religious figures. This pattern of giving has been met with disbelief by the public, raising questions about the source of these funds.

Recipients of these high-profile gifts include ZCC’s Nehemiah Mutendi, leaders from numerous apostolic sects, and several well-known gospel musicians. Most recently, Emmanuel Makandiwa, the self-appointed prophet of UFIC, reportedly accepted a donation of one million dollars. These transactions occur amidst a broader societal debate regarding the ethical implications for religious institutions that benefit from wealth generated through questionable means, particularly in a nation grappling with economic challenges and pervasive corruption.

The substantial wealth displayed by certain politically-connected tenderpreneurs, including Wicknell Chivayo, is frequently linked to securing multi-million-dollar public contracts through dubious methods rather than through productive enterprise. A notable example is the infamous Gwanda Solar Power Plant Project, where millions of dollars reportedly changed hands without the production of a single watt of electricity, despite the country's severe power shortages. This project has become a symbol of alleged public procurement fraud in Zimbabwe.

Further scrutiny has emerged from South African financial authorities, who flagged a transaction involving R800 million (approximately US$42 million) deposited into business accounts linked to Chivayo. This occurred immediately after Ren-Form CC received R1.1 billion from Zimbabwe’s Treasury for what were described as vastly inflated election materials. The lack of a convincing explanation for this significant movement of funds had previously fueled Wicknell Chivayo money laundering allegations; however, South African authorities confirmed in July 2026 that there is no active investigation into him regarding these claims, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission announced in December 2025 that it found no evidence linking him to alleged fraudulent dealings with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which had intensified calls for greater transparency in public contracting and financial flows, underscoring the challenges faced by Zimbabwe anti-corruption law enforcement.

The funds allegedly diverted through corrupt public procurement processes and subsequently presented as church donations are not harmless financial gains; they represent resources stripped directly from essential public services. Every dollar accepted from these tenderpreneurs is money that could have been allocated to public hospitals for life-saving medication and functional equipment, or to primary schools where children often lack basic textbooks and sit on cold concrete floors.

Moreover, these alleged proceeds of crime are linked to the deterioration of critical infrastructure, including hazardous road networks and municipal water systems in urban areas where residents have endured years without clean running water. The practice of Zimbabwe church leaders accepting illicit funds from individuals implicated in such scandals raises profound ethical questions about complicity and the moral responsibility of religious institutions to the communities they serve, particularly when the funds are perceived to be stolen from the public.

The ongoing acceptance of significant donations from individuals facing serious corruption allegations presents a deeply personal and heartbreaking crisis of faith for many devout Christians in Zimbabwe. Critics argue that such actions desecrate the holy name of God and undermine the moral authority of the modern Zimbabwean pulpit. Unlike the biblical account of Zacchaeus, who, upon repentance, pledged to return fourfold what he had cheated and give half his possessions to the poor, these tenderpreneurs often make no pretense of seeking restitution or confessing misdeeds.

Instead, they frequently position themselves as benevolent philanthropists, distributing their alleged plunder before congregation cameras. This stark contrast highlights a significant ethical dilemma for Zimbabwe church leaders regarding the due diligence required for gift acceptance. The situation underscores the urgent need for religious organizations to scrutinize the source of large donations to avoid legal and reputational exposure, especially when dealing with politically exposed individuals whose wealth is entangled in allegations of public procurement fraud and the Gwanda Solar Power Plant corruption.

This story underscores the heightened anti-money laundering (AML) and anti-corruption compliance risks associated with large donations from politically exposed individuals (PEPs) to religious organizations in Zimbabwe. Lawyers should advise financial institutions to scrutinize such transactions and counsel churches on due diligence for gift acceptance to mitigate legal and reputational exposure.

Source: Original reporting via Tendai Ruben Mbofana