Chivayo’s name has also been linked to other contentious national contracts…

By Advent Shoko

Nyanga South Member of Parliament (MP) Supa Collins Mandiwanzira has blasted controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo over a long-stalled energy project in Nyanga, accusing him of failing to deliver despite crippling power shortages in the area. The tender was awarded during the former Robert Mugabe administration, but the planned power solution has never been implemented, leaving communities without promised relief.

Chivayo’s business dealings have been mired in controversy for years. Most notably, his company Intratrek was awarded the Gwanda Solar Project, a US$183 million contract intended to build a 100MW solar plant, but the site remains undeveloped more than a decade later, with only cleared land and overgrown grounds to show for it. The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) terminated the contract, and Chivayo later succeeded in court to have the contract declared valid and binding, sparking frustration among locals who still face frequent blackouts.

Chivayo’s name has also been linked to other contentious national contracts. In 2025, former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa slammed a US$437 million tender for cancer treatment machines awarded to a Chivayo-linked firm, accusing the government of corruption and lack of transparency.  Critics say such deals reveal systemic flaws in Zimbabwe’s procurement environment, where politically connected elites, including the so-called Zvigananda network, secure lucrative state contracts that often deliver little tangible benefit.

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Mandiwanzira’s intervention underscores growing political pressure on the president Emmerson Mnangagwa-led administration to enforce accountability and ensure that public funds yield real development outcomes rather than fueling patronage networks. Observers argue the Nyanga debacle reflects broader governance challenges where high-profile contractors are rewarded despite repeated non-performance, eroding public trust and delaying much-needed infrastructure across rural Zimbabwe.