No matter how much lipstick you paint on a pig, it will never become a thing of beauty.
Of late, controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo has been described by some quarters as a philanthropist.
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This chorus has been led predominantly by pro-Mnangagwa elements within the ruling ZANU-PF party, and of course President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself.
The reason is simple: Chivayo has been on a much-publicised spree of gifts, handing out cars and cash to celebrities, gospel musicians, church leaders, and outstanding Mnangagwa praise-singers.
For instance, he has gifted luxury vehicles to musicians like Jah Prayzah and Sulumani Chimbetu, lavished cars on high-profile pastors as the Charambas and Magayas, and rewarded personalities who have gone out of their way to glorify Mnangagwa in public.
These acts are amplified by carefully curated social media campaigns, ensuring that his generosity is consumed by a national audience.
He was even reported in June 2025 to have been named by a relatively unknown publication, Fortune Africa Magazine, in their “Giants of Generosity” list.
The magazine claimed to recognise him for “philanthropic work, which includes donating millions of dollars, gifting luxury vehicles to various individuals, and providing support for churches, football teams, and other charitable causes across Africa.”
According to the same piece, Chivayo is said to have donated over US$60 million, alongside handing out Toyota Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, and even Maybachs to artists, pastors, and businesspeople.
Yet, what is particularly curious is that this magazine is owned by Zimbabwean businessman and self-proclaimed ‘pastor’ Edd Branson, whose wife Maxine Adam reportedly received a car gift from Chivayo himself.
This raises eyebrows about the credibility and independence of such recognition.
But even if one accepts that Chivayo has indeed poured out tens of millions of dollars in gifts and donations, the real question remains: can he truly be described as a philanthropist in the strictest sense of the word?
A philanthropist, by definition, is a person who exhibits a deep love for humanity, expressed through the strategic, sustained, and transparent deployment of their resources for the betterment of society.
Philanthropy is not merely about giving, but about doing so in a manner that addresses structural challenges, improves the conditions of the poor, and advances the public good.
True philanthropists create institutions, endow scholarships, fund hospitals, support research, and establish foundations that live beyond their individual lifetimes.
They operate with accountability and transparency, ensuring that the money they give comes from legitimate and verifiable sources, and is used in ways that achieve maximum social impact.
In the case of Wicknell Chivayo, what we see is a very different picture.
Yes, he gives, and he gives publicly.
But his giving is episodic, flamboyant, and often targeted at those with influence in the political, entertainment, and religious spheres.
His donations are less about building long-term solutions and more about reinforcing personal status, political loyalty, and celebrity culture.
The ostentatious nature of the gifts, from luxury cars to extravagant amounts of cash, suggests a performance of generosity rather than the institutional practice of philanthropy.
It is not about investing in society’s future, but about showcasing wealth and buying influence.
There is also the thorny issue of the source of his wealth.
Chivayo has long been dogged by allegations of murky government contracts, questionable procurement deals, and unexplained riches.
Investigative reports have repeatedly drawn attention to his links with controversial state tenders, including the infamous Gwanda solar project that never delivered power despite an advance payment of US$6 million being made, and yet no electricity ever produced.
More recent leaks and reports have tied him to opaque financial dealings that raise legitimate questions about whether the funds he so generously splashes around come from lawful commercial activity or from state-captured patronage networks.
These include the shocking revelations that R800 million (about US$40 million) was transferred from South Africa’s Ren-Form CC, out of the R1.1 billion paid by Zimbabwe’s Treasury ostensibly for election materials, as well as a further US$500 million allegedly channelled to another South African company linked to Chivayo, which had only been registered months earlier, supposedly for the procurement of cancer machines.
While he has denied wrongdoing, the shadow of corruption and tender manipulation looms large over his fortune.
Herein lies a fundamental problem.
Philanthropy assumes not only generosity but also integrity in the origin of the wealth being distributed.
If money is obtained through corrupt or questionable means, its distribution to churches, musicians, or loyalists does not transform it into philanthropy.
Rather, it becomes reputation laundering — a way of sanitising ill-gotten gains and repackaging them as benevolence. T
his is why many in Zimbabwe view Chivayo’s donations with scepticism.
They may provide temporary relief or joy to the recipients, but they do little to build enduring structures of empowerment, nor do they erase the controversies surrounding his business dealings.
Moreover, Chivayo’s giving has been deeply political.
He has openly aligned himself with President Mnangagwa, often presenting gifts that dovetail with ZANU-PF’s propaganda needs.
By rewarding praise-singers and church leaders who endorse the ruling party, he entrenches a culture of patronage rather than independent civic development.
His donations, far from being neutral or universal in benefit, are often targeted at those who already hold influence or visibility.
The poor in rural communities, hospitals struggling with shortages, schools in disrepair, and families battling poverty see little of this largesse.
Instead, the spotlight is on celebrity pastors receiving top-of-the-range vehicles, or artists being showered with cash.
Contrast this with figures who are universally recognised as philanthropists.
Strive Masiyiwa, despite being another wealthy Zimbabwean, established the Higherlife Foundation, which provides scholarships and education support to tens of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children.
The foundation operates transparently, has measurable impact, and works across sectors like health and education.
This is philanthropy in the true sense.
Likewise, global figures such as Bill and Melinda Gates channel billions into eradicating diseases, funding scientific research, and empowering communities worldwide.
Their giving is not about flamboyance or personal branding, but about measurable, institutional impact.
What Chivayo is practicing, then, is not philanthropy but rather publicised generosity — generosity that is questionable in both motive and source.
It is generosity that buys political relevance, bolsters his standing with the ruling elite, and ensures he remains indispensable to those in power.
By showering gifts on Mnangagwa’s allies, he secures his own position in the inner circles of patronage.
By splashing donations on celebrities, he taps into popular culture and garners adulation from the masses.
But philanthropy it is not.
For Mnangagwa and his loyalists to describe Chivayo as a philanthropist is to cheapen the word and mislead the nation.
It is an attempt to launder his image and distract from the very real questions about corruption and accountability that surround him.
Zimbabweans must not be fooled.
Giving away cars and cash does not make one a philanthropist, especially when the giving is selective, self-serving, and politically calculated.
If Zimbabwe is to nurture a culture of true philanthropy, it must celebrate and support those who build enduring institutions, those who empower the voiceless, those who uplift the poor, and those who operate with integrity and transparency.
The nation cannot afford to glorify individuals whose generosity is entangled in the politics of patronage and the controversies of ill-gotten wealth.
Let us not mislead ourselves.
Wicknell Chivayo may be a flamboyant donor, a showman of generosity, and a favourite of the ruling establishment.
But he is not, and can never be, a philanthropist in the true sense of the word.
TENDAI RUBEN MBOFANA - THE UN-OPPRESSED MIND! 