Chivayo divorce turns explosive, ex-wife demands $25 million payout

A high-profile divorce battle involving businessman Wicknell Chivayo has taken a dramatic turn after court papers revealed that his former partner is demanding a $25 million lump sum, $40,000 monthly maintenance, and a fleet of luxury vehicles including three Rolls-Royces.

The demands, filed by Sonja Madzikanda in the High Court's Family Division, form part of a wider and increasingly contentious legal dispute between the two, which also includes a bitter disagreement over access to their two minor children.

Chivayo has approached the court seeking a provisional order granting him access to his children, John Chenjerai Chivayo, born in January 2018, and Atarah Minana Chivayo, born in March 2019. He is asking for alternating weekly custody, including weekends, shared school holidays, and alternating birthdays and public holidays.

However, the dispute over the children has become entangled with a broader financial and legal battle, with Madzikanda claiming a substantial share of Chivayo's wealth. In her summons, she argues that the couple entered into a valid customary marriage in July 2017 and that she is entitled to a share of assets accumulated during the union.

She is seeking not only the $25 million lump sum and monthly spousal maintenance but also an annual budget of $1 million for holidays and entertainment, as well as servicing of her vehicles twice a year. Her claims also include ownership of several properties in Zimbabwe and South Africa, alongside a list of high-end vehicles, including Rolls-Royces, a Range Rover, a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, and a Lexus SUV.

Chivayo, represented by Mpofu Mazhata Chambers, has dismissed the claims as legally unfounded and excessive, arguing that the alleged marriage was never properly registered and therefore does not entitle Madzikanda to spousal maintenance or a share of his assets. His legal team also argues that she voluntarily ended the union through customary rites, extinguishing any such claims.

His lawyers have gone further, describing the demands as “frivolous and vexatious,” and have asked the court to dismiss them with costs, insisting that Madzikanda made no contribution to the accumulation of his wealth.

The dispute has also escalated around access to the children. Chivayo alleges that he has repeatedly been denied access and communication, with his legal team arguing that this amounts to parental alienation and is harmful to the children's wellbeing. He is seeking a court order to ensure structured and consistent access.

The matter remains before the High Court, with both sides presenting sharply conflicting versions of events in what is shaping up to be one of the country's most closely watched legal battles involving wealth, marriage, and parental rights.