Wicknell Chivayo Did Not Own Helicopter That Killed Him, Owner Revealed at Pilot's Funeral

• Youth minister Tino Machakaire introduced helicopter owner Themba Nkatazo to mourners at pilot Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda's burial on 4 October 2026
• Nkatazo, the founder of Valley Seeds Private Limited and owner of Sky Helicopters, hired out the chopper that crashed and killed Chivayo and four others
• The revelation has left Zimbabweans questioning whether the late socialite's lavish lifestyle was built on borrowed assets

Fresh details emerging from the burial of one of the pilots killed in the Wicknell Chivayo helicopter crash have stunned Zimbabweans after it was revealed that the late businessman did not actually own the aircraft. The disclosure came at a memorial gathering, and it has since set social media alight with questions about the nature of Chivayo's famed wealth.

Who owned the helicopter?

At the burial of Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda in Chiredzi, Masvingo, on Sunday, 4 October 2026, Zimbabwe's Youth Minister Tino Machakaire introduced Themba Nkatazo to the crowd of mourners. Nkatazo, who is best known as the founder and chief executive of agricultural company Valley Seeds Private Limited, also owns Sky Helicopters, a luxury private aviation charter company. It was through Sky Helicopters that the ill-fated aircraft was hired, not owned, by Chivayo.

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Wicknell Chivayo and wife to be buried without heads after fatal helicopter crash, Zimbabweans debate decision

The crash on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, claimed the lives of Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, her personal assistant, and the two pilots, Captain Calvin Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa. Soda was buried the same day his colleague, Mutavirwa, was laid to rest.

Sky Helicopters caters to high-profile clients including corporate executives, politicians, and wealthy socialites, referred to in Zimbabwe as "mbingas." Chivayo was among its regular clientele.

Peeps react to helicopter-owner revelation

Watch the address at Captain Soda's burial in Masvingo:

The revelation triggered a wave of reactions online, with many questioning what else about Chivayo's lifestyle may have been built on hired or borrowed foundations.

@SkhumbuzoM_ wrote:

"So the billionaire was fake, the chopper has been hired from Themba Nkathazo."

@SokhelaMdladla said:

"And the helicopter owner was known by these people??? Someone did say things will start unravelling. Then you are telling us Wicknell was hiring these helicopters? Not his?"

@pipeheerer pointed out:

"The house wasn't his. The helicopter wasn't his 🤔🤔 interesting."

@NkayiTown added simply:

"He was living a fake life then."

@jazzysalvador2 raised a different concern altogether:

"Why is the pilot of the other helicopter being kept under the radar? They could tell how they manoeuvred the cloud and why it made sense for them not to go back and retrace the route rather than go to Harare and get cars. Was it not wiser to do an aerial search than a ground search?"

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Wicknell Chivayo and Wife Lucy Muteke’s Burial to Be Open to the Public

@FakeHusbandZw offered a broader observation about how the address was handled:

"Some of our politicians genuinely need publicists. Not because they lack something to say, but because the way you communicate can sometimes bury the message itself. A public address is more than words; it shapes tone, perception, credibility, and trust."

Sizwe Dhlomo questions claim that Ruto lost billions

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Sizwe Dhlomo took to X to question former Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's explosive claim about President William Ruto and the late Wicknell Chivayo.

Gachagua alleged during a Boston engagement that Chivayo was holding billions on Ruto's behalf when he died in a helicopter crash.

Source: Briefly News