Zimbabwe Helicopter Crash Kills Six Near Harare

Herbert Chivayo fixed the wreck in one line. “When it crashed, it burst into flames,” he said afterward to state broadcaster ZBC, speaking as the family’s spokesperson.

The helicopter had lifted off from the Gandami rural-home site in Chikomba district, about 144 kilometres (89 miles) from Harare, where Wicknell Chivayo and his wife were building a home. The flight lasted roughly forty minutes. On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, around 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), the aircraft was down at Kudenga Farm in the Marondera Rural area, about 70 to 72 kilometres (43 to 45 miles) east and southeast of Harare.

Civil Aviation Authority director-general George Mashababe said early indications were that the helicopter’s tail hit the ground first. The impact spilled fuel, which ignited. The fire followed the fuel across the ground.

Six people had been aboard. None survived.

Herbert Chivayo placed the dead on the record for ZBC. “There were five people. There were two pilots, his security aide, the wife and Chivayo.” The wife in that list was Lucy Rujeko Muteke. Saneliswe Magagula was among those killed. The two pilots were Calvin Tafirei Soda and Courage Mutavirwa. His spoken tally had stopped at five; the aircraft carried six.

“We are at a loss for words after the tragic news,” he told ZBC.

Commissioner Paul Nyathi acknowledged six occupants for the police. Identities were not all immediate. Nick Mangwana, the government spokesman, posted the confirmation on X. “The government wishes to confirm that a helicopter crash has occurred, involving one high-profile businessman, three other passengers, and two pilots.” The next line left nothing open. “Current information indicates that there were no survivors in this crash.” He noted that police would confirm the identities of the victims in due course.

The high-profile businessman was Wicknell Chivayo. He was 43. He had founded Intratrek Zimbabwe and served as its managing director. That name changed the scale of the crash. The reason his loss carried past the farm began with the company he ran.

Intratrek held a government contract first awarded in 2014 and 2015, reported at $170 million to $172 million, to build a 100-megawatt solar plant in Gwanda. One megawatt equals one million watts of generating capacity. Zimbabwe’s main stations at Kariba and Hwange have long left the country short; in 2010 generation was estimated at 940 megawatts against a peak demand of 2,500, forcing imports from neighbors and rolling blackouts. A hundred-megawatt plant would have narrowed that gap.

The state utility sought to terminate the deal over delays. Years of dispute followed. In 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that the contract was valid. Earlier in September 2026 the Zimbabwe Power Company issued a Notice to Proceed. The revised cost was reported at under $132 million. Intratrek had twenty-four months to complete the work.

Chivayo had spent three years in jail roughly two decades earlier on a money-laundering conviction. The Gwanda contract survived that sentence, the fight with the utility, and more than a decade of delay. By late September 2026 it stood cleared to restart.

Kenyan President William Ruto answered the crash with three public farewells. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic passing of my friend, Wicknell Chivayo, together with his wife, Lucy Muteke, and the other lives lost in the helicopter crash in Zimbabwe. Their sudden departure is a painful loss to their families, friends and all who knew them.”

He fixed the friendship in plainer terms. “Wicknell was a dear friend whose warmth touched many people. I will remember him for his friendship, his energy and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent.”

The third statement widened the circle of mourning. “I convey my deepest condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives, to President Mnangagwa, the people of Zimbabwe and everyone mourning this tragic loss. May God grant Wicknell, Lucy and all those who perished eternal rest.”

Forensic scientists and aviation experts attended the crash scene on Thursday morning. Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the Zimbabwe Republic Police reported that the scene had been attended by forensic scientists and other aviation experts. He said the police, in conjunction with the relevant experts, were conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash. More information would be released as investigations unfolded. The Zimbabwe Republic Police expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

the bodies were too damaged to identify. Mortuary personnel worked at the scene. Forensic experts continued working to identify the bodies. Investigators examined the cause of the crash. The experts remained on the ground at Kudenga Farm.