Eswatini: King Mswati grants diplomatic passport to Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo previously convicted and linked to multibillion fraud and money-laundering cases, an alleged ally to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Published: 21/Jun/2026
Source: Swaziland News
by Zweli Martin Dlamini
MBABANE: Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, the Zimbabwean businessman who recently received a diplomatic passport from King Mswati after being granted Eswatini citizenship, is an ex-convict, an alleged fraudster and/or multibillion money-launderer.
A brief research conducted by this publication about Chivayo suggests that, he is the founder and Managing Director of Intratrek Zimbabwe and known for his involvement in Government tenders with close links to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).
The Zimbabwean businessman had a series of legal proceedings relating to fraud and money-laundering allegations, Intratrek Zimbabwe was awarded a contract in 2015 to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda, for which it received an advance payment of US$5 million (over R80million) from the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) without carrying out substantive work on the project.
But before that, Chivayo was convicted of theft and illegal foreign currency exchange (money laundering) in 2004, he was sentenced to three (3) years in prison, which he served at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison
An independent investigation conducted by this publication further uncovered that, Chivayo faced separate multiple rounds of criminal prosecution over the advance payment but, due to his subsequent close alleged links to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, he was ultimately acquitted in 2024.
Read further: https://swazilandnews.co.za/articles/36121