THE FUSE

Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, the Zimbabwean businessman who made a public spectacle of his wealth and became, by a distance, the most visible and most argued-over rich man in his country, died on Wednesday evening when the helicopter carrying him crashed in the Marondera Rural area, east of Harare. His wife, Lucy Muteke, whom he married in 2024 and called Lulu, died with him. There were no survivors. The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed the crash at around five o'clock and said the aircraft had six occupants; the government spokesman Nick Mangwana said seven people were aboard, including two pilots. The cause has not been established. His family spokesman, Herbert Chivayo, confirmed the deaths to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, saying those closest to him were at a loss for words.