JOHANNESBURG — South African police say they have no active investigation into Wicknell Chivayo, the politically-connected Zimbabwean tender tycoon.
The revelation is a blow to public finance accountability activists in Zimbabwe, who had pinned their hopes on South African authorities after Zimbabwean investigators shut down probes linked to the awarding of contracts for the supply of election materials in 2023.
A company linked to Chivayo was paid over R1.6 billion to supply nearly all election materials, including ballot papers, biometric machines and stationery. Despite public outcry, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission said it found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Hopes then turned to South African police after the country’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) flagged several transactions totalling just over R800 million in payments to Chivayo by Renform CC, the company awarded the 2023 election contracts.
Now the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, has clarified that Chivayo is not under investigation. The clarification comes after South Africa’s presidency, without naming him, stated that Chivayo was under police investigation, as it sought to dismiss suggestions that he is known to president Cyril Ramaphosa.
This followed a May trip to Zimbabwe by Ramaphosa for a meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, during which Chivayo flew on the same helicopter as the two leaders as a guest of Mnangagwa.
Hawks spokesperson colonel Katlego Mogale told News24 on Friday: “The DPCI has no such case [on Chivayo] in our system.”
The DPCI is a unit of the South African Police Service set up to prevent, combat and investigate national priority crimes, with a focus on serious organised crime, serious commercial crime and serious corruption. It also investigates transnational crimes, including money laundering, and would lead any investigation into alleged corruption involving a foreign national and R800 million.
The FIC, for its part, said it does not conduct investigations but provides financial intelligence reports to law enforcement and regulatory authorities for use in investigations and asset forfeiture.
Meanwhile, News24 has issued an apology to Chivayo after his high-powered legal team led by advocate Dali Mpofu and Eric Mabuza threatened a lawsuit. The publication said it had “erroneously reported that Wicknell Chivayo was currently under investigation by the FIC and Hawks in connection with money laundering.”
“News24 apologises for the error,” it added.
The lawyers acting for Chivayo said the only matter erroneously linked to the fraud claims was the civil divorce dispute involving Chivayo and his estranged wife, which they stressed “is not a criminal matter” and “does not constitute or involve any commission or allegation of fraud.”
They said assets such as the private jet, ZAS-ACT, which his estranged wife sought to have preserved through a non-dissipation order, belong not to Chivayo personally but to Intratrek Holdings, a company in which he is a shareholder and director.
They also clarified the nature of the Pretoria High Court order obtained by his estranged wife earlier this year, describing it as a rule nisi – an interim order obtained through an ex parte application, meaning Chivayo was not heard at that initial stage. The High Court has since heard the matter and reserved judgement.
The lawyers welcomed the Hawks’ confirmation and News24’s correction as vindicating Chivayo, but said they would “assess the broader legal implications of these developments,” and reserved his right to pursue anyone who had falsely claimed he was under investigation.
Chivayo has recently pledged multi-million-dollar investments in Kenya, Swaziland and Tanzania after meeting leaders of those countries.
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