Wicknell Chivayo: Media Barred As Funeral Wake Moves to Gletwin Mansion, Zimbabweans Debate Decision

• The funeral wake for Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy was relocated to his Gletwin mansion
• Guards at the gate restricted entry, barring journalists from independent media outlets from covering the wake
• The media restrictions drew sharp reactions online, with Zimbabweans questioning what the family was concealing

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

ZIMBABWE — The funeral wake of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke has been moved to the family's sprawling Gletwin mansion in Chishawasha Hills.

The couple were among five people killed in a helicopter crash on 30 September 2026. The other victims were identified as Senelisiwe Magagula, Captain Kelvin T Soda, and Captain Courage Mutavirwa.

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The relocation followed the arrival of Chivayo's sisters from the United Kingdom. According to a post shared by verified account ZimLive on X on Friday, 2 October, guards stationed at the mansion's gate turned away journalists from independent media outlets, with one guard stating: "Only ZBC allowed."

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is the country's state-owned broadcaster, with close institutional ties to the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Wake initially held at mother's home

Before the sisters arrived from abroad, the mourning proceedings had been held at 14 Stanchart, the family home in Greystone Park where Chivayo's late mother had lived. That property had been designated as the official mourning venue while family members were still travelling.

The Gletwin mansion had been secured in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Once the sisters landed, the wake was transferred to the Gletwin property.

Media restrictions draw online criticism

The decision to bar independent journalists from the wake drew widespread criticism on X. Several users questioned whether excluding certain media from a funeral violated cultural norms around mourning and openness.

@mktshuks wrote:

"You can't have people talking of Ubuntu yet banning certain sections of society from a funeral. Where is Ubuntu bakhona? We can't have people feigning selective amnesia when it suits them. Since when did we start banning people from funerals?"

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@mutapa_hungwe commented:

"They want a biased burial."

@christineweke16 asked simply:

"What are they hiding?"

@Island_Tribe17 wrote:

"ZBCNewsonline is a ZANU-PF propaganda machine."

@BryantMsalili added:

"We're not surprised."

Chivayo's children were not on board the helicopter

Briefly News also reported that Chivayo's two children from his previous marriage were confirmed safe and were not aboard the doomed aircraft.

The Zimbabwean millionaire and his new wife Lucy died in the helicopter crash near Marondera on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

The crash, which occurred at around 5 pm, also claimed the lives of two crew members and one other individual.

Source: Briefly News