Hichilema meets Chivayo

Published: 2 hours ago

Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo on Thursday held a meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at State House in Lusaka, where the two discussed renewable energy investment and infrastructure development.

Chivayo, a polarising figure in Zimbabwe due to his political connections and history of contentious government tenders, continues to gain access to high-level African leaders despite persistent scrutiny at home.

In a post on X following the meeting, Chivayo said President Hichilema underscored the shared history between Zimbabwe and Zambia and emphasised the need to deepen economic cooperation.

"We discussed the challenges being experienced in Zambia's energy sector, especially the suppressed power generation at Kariba North due to adverse hydrological conditions. I was thoroughly impressed by President Hichilema's appreciation of renewable energy project funding models and his commitment to partner with the private sector," Chivayo wrote.

President Hichilema is expected in Harare on Friday for the Zimbabwe-Zambia Trade and Investment Conference, which aims to strengthen bilateral investment and expand cross-border infrastructure projects.

Chivayo's growing international profile is buoyed by his close ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. In recent months, he has secured meetings with several regional and continental leaders, including Kenyan President William Ruto, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Malawi's Arthur Peter Mutharika, Nigeria's Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mozambique's Daniel Chapo, and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.

But at home, Chivayo remains a deeply divisive figure. His company, Intratrek Zimbabwe, secured a US$172 million contract to build a 100MW solar power plant in Gwanda, a project that collapsed despite ZESA advancing over US$5 million. The collapse triggered fraud charges, but he was later acquitted. The High Court recently ruled in his favour, compelling ZESA to honour the contract or pay damages estimated at US$25 million.

Chivayo is widely believed to be working with Chinese investors as he positions himself in renewable energy, power generation and road construction ventures across Africa.
- zimlive