Claims VP got Money From Wicknell Chivayo
In a sensational move, former Zanu PF provincial chairman and MP Temba Mliswa has spilled the beans about Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, claiming the powerful local political power broker who installed President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office through a 2017 coup received a string of payments from cash-rich tenderpreneuer Wicknell Chivayo who provided money and cars at his colourful wedding to Miniyothabo Baloyi in December 2023.
Mliswa says Chivayo – who is splurging cash and cars like confetti at a wedding on Mnangagwa sympathisers all over the place – did not finish paying Chiwenga as promised, and that has led to the Vice-President’s burning anger, describing the patronage-based tenderpreneuer as a “chigananda”; a dodgy and corrupt businessman.
Chiwenga, who has been on a warpath since January over the Zanu PF succession battle, recently provided a dossier on ramapnt corruption by “Zviganandas” to a Zanu PF politburo meeting, demanding that Mnangagwa must arrest Chivayo and others urgently.However, Mliswa says Chiwenga is not fighting corruption, but over unfulfilled financial promises by Chivayo and his bid to succeed Mnangagwa.After threatening to expose Chiwenga yesterday, Mliswa today wrote on X (Twitter):
“Today I lay out one episode which led to the supposed move to get (Wicknell) Chivayo arrested, painted as Chigananda.
The origin of this scandal was the alleged failure by Chivayo to fulfil one of many financial promises which he had made to the VP. Whatever else happened later was an effort to get back at him.
First of all the VP allegedly asked for 6 Rolls Royces for his wedding plus US$250K for his wedding preparations. During the wedding itself he received US$250K as a wedding gift.
Of that amount only US$50K was announced publicly at the wedding per his request.
For the honeymoon, at the luxurious Four Seasons in Seychelles, the new couple got another US$250K from the same person.
On their return, through South Africa the newly wedded VP’s partner allegedly got 1 million Rands for shopping.
Corruption instead of saddling us with incessant anti-corruption rhetoric some of which is a product of private disputes.
The onus is on the VP to comment on these allegations. Some of us have been fighting corruption for long and have suffered for it.
I have nothing personal against the VP but only seek for sincerity when one alleges they are weeding out corruption.
Many are angry about the economy and the leadership such that they misread these posts to fan their anger but that doesn’t annul the factuality of what I have said.
Anyone suspected should be investigated by relevant authorities and this isn’t a campaign to protect anyone.
The basic point is that many leaders have themselves been involved in corruption and shouldn’t curtail the actual fight against it by hijacking that struggle and turning it into a political weapon.
If they are sincere let them allow state institutions to run independently.
I’m VP for African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC-AFRICA) & Southern African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption & understand how corruption fights. Views are rights but where facts are, it’s a test of how genuine you are against a social vice.”
