South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has confirmed that there is no active investigation into Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Ch...
South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has confirmed that there is no active investigation into Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, ending weeks of speculation that he was being investigated over alleged financial transactions linked to Zimbabwe’s 2023 general elections.
The confirmation came after Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale told News24 on Friday that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) had no case involving Chivayo. “The DPCI has no such case [on Chivayo] in our system,” Mogale said.
The statement follows reports that South Africa’s presidency, without mentioning Chivayo by name, had suggested that the businessman was under police investigation while dismissing claims that he had close ties with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The reports gained attention after Ramaphosa travelled to Zimbabwe in May for talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, during which Chivayo travelled in the same helicopter as the two leaders as a guest of Mnangagwa.
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The issue has its origins in Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections, where a company allegedly linked to Chivayo received more than R1.6 billion to supply election materials, including ballot papers, biometric voter registration equipment and stationery. The contracts generated public debate, but the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) later announced that it had found no evidence of wrongdoing following its investigations.
South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) had previously identified several transactions amounting to just over R800 million in payments made to Chivayo by Renform CC, the company awarded the election supply contracts. However, the FIC clarified that it does not investigate criminal matters. Instead, it gathers financial intelligence and provides reports to law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities to assist investigations and possible asset forfeiture proceedings.
The Hawks, which investigate serious organised crime, serious commercial crime, corruption and transnational offences such as money laundering, would ordinarily handle any criminal investigation involving allegations of corruption and significant financial transactions involving foreign nationals. However, the agency has now confirmed that no such investigation involving Chivayo currently exists.
Meanwhile, News24 has apologised to Chivayo after his legal team, led by Advocate Dali Mpofu and attorney Eric Mabuza, challenged its earlier reporting. The publication acknowledged that it had incorrectly reported that Chivayo was under investigation by both the Hawks and the FIC in connection with alleged money laundering and issued a public apology for the error.
Chivayo’s lawyers said reports linking him to fraud had confused the matter with an ongoing civil divorce dispute involving his estranged wife. They maintained that the proceedings were civil in nature and did not involve any criminal allegations. The lawyers also said assets, including the Bombardier Challenger private jet registered as ZS-ACT, belong to Intratrek Holdings, where Chivayo is a shareholder and director, rather than to him personally. They further explained that a preservation order obtained earlier this year was an interim order granted before Chivayo had an opportunity to present his case, and that the Pretoria High Court has since heard arguments and reserved judgment.
The legal team welcomed the Hawks’ confirmation and News24’s correction, saying both developments vindicated their client. However, they said they would assess the broader legal implications of the matter while reserving Chivayo’s right to pursue legal action against individuals or organisations that had falsely claimed he was under investigation. They also stressed that under the constitutions of both South Africa and Zimbabwe, every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Chivayo described the Hawks’ announcement as “the biggest vindication I have awaited for the longest time.” He argued that the controversy was politically motivated and driven by opposition figures in Zimbabwe and South Africa following ZANU PF’s victory in the 2023 elections. Chivayo also referred to a June 2024 statement by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which he said cleared him and his companies of any role in supplying election materials. He dismissed claims that his recent US$10 million property purchase in Cape Town or litigation involving his estranged wife related to frozen assets, saying his Bombardier Challenger private jet was undergoing scheduled annual maintenance in Basel.
Chivayo further praised the Hawks for what he described as an impartial and factual approach. He said the matter reflected the challenges faced by successful young African entrepreneurs, arguing that public speculation often unfairly associates business success with wrongdoing. He maintained that he is a law-abiding businessman and philanthropist and said the Hawks’ statement should finally end speculation surrounding his name. Chivayo concluded by saying he was “just an interesting person, not a person of interest.” He has also recently announced plans for multi-million-dollar investments in Kenya, Eswatini and Tanzania following meetings with leaders from those countries.
