Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivhayo, a controversial beneficiary of corrupt tenders linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has in recent months held a series of meetings with several African heads of state. Widely described as Africa’s new cancer, Chivhayo is exporting corruption, cronyism and contempt for constitutionalism on behalf of Mnangagwa. His lavish lifestyle and extraordinary access to political power have fuelled growing concern over his role as a proxy in opaque cross-border dealings that risk undermining regional politics and governance.

Chivayo, a director of the controversial Intratrek Zimbabwe who often styles himself as “Sir Wicknell,” has been photographed and quoted alongside President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Tinubu of Nigeria and President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia. He has also shared visuals of a meeting with President Daniel Chapo of Mozambique.

Chivayo’s engagements have unfolded against a backdrop of controversy in his home country, where he maintains close ties to Mnangagwa and is widely associated with politically connected contracting and procurement processes.

His frequent meetings with regional leaders amplify concerns about transparency and influence, even as supporters describe his network as investment-focused.

In Zimbabwe, Chivayo’s public closeness to President Mnangagwa, up to riding in the presidential motorcade at national events, has drawn both admiration from ruling party adherents and deep suspicion from civil society activists and opposition figures.

In Kenya, he paid courtesy calls on President Ruto at State House in Nairobi and other official venues.

But the Kenyans have not been silent.

Kenyan media noted that the meetings have come under scrutiny by opposition lawmakers, commentators and the general public, who question why a foreign businessman with an opaque business portfolio enjoys repeated access to the presidency.

Chivayo’s trips have also taken him to Zanzibar, where he met Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and to Lilongwe to see Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera. Observers note that Chivayo’s social media posts praising host leaders often emphasise business and development collaboration, though official agendas for many of the meetings have not been publicly shared.

During a visit to Lusaka in November 2025, Chivayo met President Hakainde Hichilema to discuss renewable energy and infrastructure cooperation. Zambian officials described the dialogue as centred on bilateral economic ties.

Chivayo has also been seen with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, most recently in 2024, underscoring what analysts say is a broadening regional profile.

Despite wide visibility and social media amplification, clarity about the substantive outcomes of these meetings remains limited. In most cases, Chivayo’s public posts focus on expressions of admiration and general endorsements of host countries’ development visions rather than specific signed agreements or investment commitments.

Chivayo’s critics, both inside Zimbabwe and abroad, argue such celebrity-style diplomacy highlights broader issues of governance and accountability.

They point to his company’s past contracts, including a high-value solar power project in Zimbabwe that stalled, as emblematic of opaque government contracting practices.