No body viewing for Chivayo, wife after horror crash
_‘The heads were severed during the crash and bodies were badly burnt’_
HARARE – There will be no body viewing for controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy nee Muteke, following a horrific helicopter crash that claimed their lives, the family has announced.
Chivayo’s uncle and family spokesperson, Hebert Chivayo, told mourners and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was paying his last respects at the late businessman’s Gletwin mansion on Friday evening, that the condition of the bodies made a viewing impossible.
Hebert described the crash scene at Kudenga Farm, near Marondera, as traumatising, saying the victims suffered severe injuries in the impact and fire.
“When we arrived at the scene, human flesh and body parts were scattered everywhere. It was a gory scene,” he said.
He said the victims’ remains had been severely burnt and dismembered, making identification difficult.
“Even the heads were severed during the accident and bodies were badly burnt,” the uncle said.
Forensic examinations and DNA identification are now underway as authorities work to identify and match the remains of the five people who died in the crash.
Chivayo, his wife, two pilots and a security aide died on Wednesday when their helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm near Marondera.
The crash brought a sudden and tragic end to the life of the flamboyant businessman, who was widely known for his lavish lifestyle, high-profile friendships and controversial displays of wealth.
As the family grapples with the devastating loss, Hebert also revealed Chivayo’s wish concerning his children and his estate.
“When he was alive he would say, ‘Dad, if I die ensure that my children get most of my wealth so that they will grow up to remember me,’” he said.
Hebert said the family would honour that wish, insisting that Chivayo’s children were the rightful beneficiaries of his estate.
“We, the Chivayos, are not greedy to go after a late family member’s hard-earned wealth. These kids are the rightful beneficiaries of their father’s estate and they will get everything,” he said.
The remarks came as family, friends, government officials, religious leaders and hundreds of mourners gathered at Chivayo’s Gletwin home to bid farewell to the businessman and his wife.
The family has yet to announce the burial arrangements.
