Jah Prayzah postpones wedding after sponsor Wicknell Chivayo perishes in helicopter inferno
Musician Jah Prayzah and his wife Rufaro have indefinitely postponed their wedding following the death of Wicknell Chivayo.
The wedding, for the musician whose real name is Mukudzeyi Mukombe, had been set for Saturday, 3 October in Glen Lorne, Harare. It will no longer go ahead as planned.
The postponement comes after Chivayo, his wife and three others were killed on Wednesday evening, 30 September 2026, when their helicopter came down.
The aircraft, a Bell 430, was carrying five people when it crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera Rural, Mashonaland East.
The group had been travelling from Gandami in Chikomba, where Chivayo and his wife were visiting the home where they were building their rural home, when the helicopter crashed about 40 minutes after take-off.
The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Tino Machakaire, identified the victims as Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, her aide Senelisiwe Magagula, and pilots Captain Kelvin T. Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa.
Chivayo was more than a close friend to the Mukombes. He was a major benefactor of the wedding and had been bankrolling part of the celebrations.
The businessman, who had presented Jah Prayzah with a 2026 Ford Ranger Platinum and US$250,000 in cash for his birthday, had offered to pay US$500,000 for Chimurenga legend Thomas Mapfumo to perform at the wedding as a wedding present. The performance was part of a combined US$1 million deal for two shows – Jah Prayzah’s wedding and Chivayo’s own birthday celebration.
Announcing the postponement in a social media post on Thursday, a day after the tragedy, Jah Prayzah said the family needed time to grieve.
“Hatina mashoko akakwana panguva yakadai. The sudden loss of our dear brother Sir Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy, and all those who lost their lives in this tragic accident has left us deeply heartbroken,” he wrote.
“Wicknell was more than a friend to us. He was family, a brother, and someone who walked closely with us through many chapters of life. Losing him together with Lucy in such a sudden way is a pain that is difficult to put into words.
“Our hearts and prayers are also with every family that lost a loved one in this tragedy. Mwari vape nyaradzo nesimba kune vose vari kuchema panguva ino.
“Pane nguva yekuti zvimwe zvinhu zvese zvinofanira kumbomira. Out of love, respect and the need to grieve with family, our wedding, which was scheduled for 3 October, has been postponed. We will continue with our wedding plans when the time is right.”
