Bodies of Wicknell Chivayo, Wife and Four Others Remain at Marondera Crash Site

MARONDERA, Zimbabwe — The bodies of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke and four other victims remained at the site of a fatal helicopter crash in Marondera on Thursday morning, hours after the aircraft went down.

The helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm in Marondera on Wednesday evening, killing all six people on board.

According to reports by ZBC News, police had not yet removed the bodies from the crash site by Thursday morning as authorities continued processing the scene.

Chivayo and Muteke were reportedly travelling with four other people whose identities had not yet been released.

The helicopter is understood to have taken off from Gandami in Chikomba before crashing about 40 minutes into the flight. The couple had reportedly been in the area in connection with the construction of their rural home.

Footage from the scene showed the wreckage of the helicopter at Kudenga Farm as authorities worked at the crash site.

The cause of the crash had not been established by Thursday morning. Investigations are expected to determine the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.

Authorities had not publicly provided a detailed explanation for the time taken to recover the bodies, and speculation circulating on social media had not been independently verified.

The crash has drawn widespread attention because of Chivayo's profile as a prominent Zimbabwean businessman and his public presence.