Investigating Wicknell Chivayo: South African banks linked to R800 million money laundering allegations
Flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman and socialite Wicknell Chivayo posing with his personalised Rolls Royce Phantom - one of the many expensive toys in his large fleet.
Image: Facebook
The national assembly in Zimbabwe has been petitioned to use its oversight mechanisms to investigate widespread allegations of money laundering activities against flamboyant Zimbabwean mogul, Wicknell Chivayo - a known close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In documents seen by IOL, Emmanuel Nkosilathi Moyo, an activist based in the town of Kwekwe has written to Zimbabwe’s Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, urging the legislature to conduct an investigation into the allegations of money laundering and corruption levelled against Chivayo.
In the petition, Moyo urges Zimbabwe’s parliament to closely probe the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s US$100 million tender which was awarded ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to media reports in Zimbabwe, the tender, awarded to South African firm Ren-Form CC with Chivayo reportedly acting as a key intermediary, has caused a stir following revelations in leaked documents purported to be from South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
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The documents which were widely distributed online, raise alarm bells about Chivayo receiving R800 million of the R1.2 billion (US$66 million) tender value. In the documents, the FIC raised red flags, highlighting the possibility of activities including money laundering and other criminal activity.
However, in April, IOL contacted the FIC which declined to confirm the validity of the documents.
“Thank you for your query to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). The FIC is unable to confirm whether the documents referred in your query originate from the FIC,” the agency wrote to IOL last month.
IOL reported earlier this week that a top Zimbabwean banker is at the centre of the nearly R2 billion Zimbabwe Electoral Commission tender scandal involving a South African printing company paid R1.2 billion by the government of Zimbabwe.
The lucrative tender was for the supply of election materials in 2023.
Raymond Singathini Chigogwana, who is chief executive of a Harare-based money transfer agency, Access Finance Group, and Access Forex (Proprietary) Limited, a money remittance entity in Johannesburg, allegedly facilitated Chivayo's rapid movement of the R800 million across banks from proceeds of an allegedly corrupt deal.
The movement of the funds reportedly caught the attention of the South African Revenue Services and the police.
Zimbabwe's investigative online publication, News Hawks, reported that Chivayo got paid in South Africa, sparking the allegations of corruption and money laundering activities.
Chivayo used various personal and company bank accounts to move money to different people and entities through a series of quick transfers and cash withdrawals. The money went through big South African banks: FNB, Standard Bank and Absa.
Some of the windfall was used to buy designer clothes, fancy cars, electronic gadgets, real estate, and funding trips around the world.
Wicknell Chivhayo with some of his top-of-the-range vehicles in Harare.
Image: Facebook
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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