Guti's widow reveals why she rejected luxury car and US$250,000

Eunor Guti, a senior leader in the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA) Forward in Faith Ministries and widow of the late Archbishop Ezekiel Guti, has revealed that she rejected a generous gift offer comprising a brand-new luxury vehicle and a US$250,000 cash donation - a gesture widely believed to have originated from controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo.

Earlier this year, Chivayo made headlines when he posted on social media about gifting a 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series VXR and a quarter of a million U.S. dollars in fuel and personal expenses to "honour the legacy" of Archbishop Guti, who passed away in 2023. He stated that the offer was pending the approval of the ZAOGA Governing Board.

However, in a candid address to congregants, Eunor Guti disclosed that she was approached late one night by an intermediary, whom she claimed was "sent by a man she had never met," to convince her to accept the gift. She firmly declined the offer, stating that it was inconsistent with the values and spiritual discipline embodied by her late husband throughout his lifetime.

"I think this man was sent by this man whom I don't even know... to plead with Mama Guti to receive the offer. And this man was so serious and wanting to push me into those things," Guti said. "I said no. I need to pray - but I knew I was not going to say yes because my father [Archbishop Guti] never walked that way."

She emphasized that she not only rejected the vehicle and money for her own personal use but also refused to accept the funds on behalf of the church, even for its projects - asserting that such donations clashed with the ethical path the ZAOGA leadership had long upheld.

"I said I'm not going to take that money and I don't want that Land Cruiser because I already have the one I've been driving for all these years. How can I look for that?" she told the congregation.

"There was a need in our projects, but I said not even in our projects because we have never seen our father receiving such kind of money."

Eunor Guti said she immediately informed the church's day-to-day board at headquarters about the incident, explaining that the public speculation on social media had occurred without her knowledge.

"The Lord made me not to know it. And they were talking, talking, talking… I say to them you will hear people talking about this… But me, I'm not going to take that money. They better use it somewhere, but not even on our projects. We don't want that."

Chivayo, known for his extravagant lifestyle and links to high-profile government contracts, has made several public donations to religious and cultural figures in recent years. However, critics have questioned the motivation and appropriateness of such gestures, especially in a country grappling with economic challenges and political controversy.

Eunor Guti's principled stance has been widely praised by members of the ZAOGA church and beyond, with many viewing it as a reaffirmation of the church's legacy of integrity and spiritual humility.

Her public rejection of the gift also highlights the continuing tension between faith-based leadership and the growing influence of political and economic elites in religious spaces.