Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has dramatically reversed his controversial US$3.6 million pledge to Parliament, opting instead to redirect the funds toward ZANU-PF grassroots structures following backlash led by the party’s Youth League.
By Advent Shoko
The development comes after the ZANU-PF Youth League publicly rejected the proposed donation, warning that such contributions risked undermining the independence and integrity of Parliament as a constitutional institution.
In a lengthy statement, Chivayo acknowledged the concerns and admitted missteps in how the pledge was communicated. He said:
“I have taken note with keen interest and some element of surprise… various statements and reactions… including the press statement issued by the ZANU-PF Youth League.”
He maintained that the initial pledge was made in good faith and was never intended to influence Parliament. Chivayo said:
“My pledge to Parliament was… made in good faith and with the genuine intention of celebrating Zimbabwe’s 46th Independence… There was never any intention whatsoever… to influence the August House.”
However, he conceded that the process may have overlooked key institutional sensitivities, particularly around Parliament’s autonomy, the central issue raised by the Youth League. He admitted:
“As a political novice, I acknowledge that there are structures and protocols which perhaps I ought to have observed… I recognise that the channel… was probably not the best.”
In a decisive shift, Chivayo announced the withdrawal of the original offer. He said:
“I have listened… I have reflected… I therefore unreservedly retract my initial pledge directed towards Parliament.”
He then unveiled a revised US$5 million commitment, to be distributed across the country’s 10 provinces through party structures. He ssid:
“This support can be channelled through provincial chairpersons as US$500,000 across each… to drive grassroots development initiatives.”
The move signals a strategic recalibration amid growing political scrutiny, with Chivayo aligning his philanthropy more closely with party channels while reinforcing loyalty to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling party’s Vision 2030 agenda.
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