Ramaphosa distances himself from businessman Chivayo after meeting in Zimbabwe
via NewsDay Zimbabwe6 min read
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent visit to Zimbabwe has drawn scrutiny after controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo, along with Paul Tungwarara and Kudakwashe Tagwirei, attended a high-level meeting at President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Precabe Farm. Chivayo, a convicted fraudster, circulated images of the meeting on social media, leading to public criticism. Notably absent from the meeting were senior Zimbabwean government officials, including Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. War veteran Knox Chivero wrote to Ramaphosa, warning about Chivayo's alleged criminal links and claiming he is under investigation by South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre for an alleged R1.1 billion fraud, with reports of the Hawks probing suspicious financial flows. Investigations suggest Zimbabwe's Treasury paid over R1.1 billion to a South African company for election materials, with more than R800 million allegedly directed to Chivayo's companies, raising anti-money laundering concerns. Chivayo's brother, Joachim, is reportedly wanted in South Africa for a gold smuggling case, and a South African court recently froze Chivayo's bank accounts and assets. The South African presidency acknowledged reports involving a "person of interest" to law enforcement without naming Chivayo. Vice-President Chiwenga has criticized business figures close to Mnangagwa, calling them "zvigananda" who siphon national wealth and warning the ruling party against accepting money
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
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