Chivayo seeks workaround to Zimpapers gift ban

BUSINESSMAN Wicknell Chivayo has moved to circumvent a Zimpapers policy blocking extravagant gifts to employees after unveiling a controversial arrangement in which a car dealer would sell two Capitalk FM staff members luxury vehicles at nominal prices.

The development follows Chivayo's appearance at Capitalk FM on May 5, where he offered what he described as a gesture of appreciation to employees after an interview.

According to Chivayo, he handed US$30 000 to Capitalk FM general manager Mr Comfort Mbofana for distribution among 30 employees at US$1 000 each and also pledged to buy presenter Phathisani Sibanda a 2025 Toyota Fortuner GD6 and a female employee a Toyota Aqua.

Chivayo said Mr Mbofana approved the arrangement and personally escorted him to his vehicle to collect the cash.

However, the gifts reportedly triggered an internal dispute after Zimpapers invoked its corporate gifts policy introduced in 2024, which limits gifts employees may receive to a maximum value of US$100 per item and requires all gifts to be formally declared.

Under the policy, each of the 30 employees may retain only US$100, with the remaining US$27 000 expected to be returned.

Sibanda was also reportedly told he must either reject the Fortuner or resign from the company.

Ironically, the policy itself was reportedly introduced following a previous incident involving Chivayo, who gifted Sibanda a Toyota Aqua during a radio appearance in 2024 when the presenter was still working as an independent contractor outside the company's full employment framework.

Sibanda later became a full-time Zimpapers employee in January this year, placing him directly under the gifts policy.

In a lengthy statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Chivayo expressed shock at the backlash surrounding what he described as a simple act of gratitude.

"I am profoundly surprised to now hear different versions circulating on social media suggesting that there was something improper about a simple act of gratitude towards hardworking Zimbabweans performing national service," he said.

Chivayo argued that media workers deserved appreciation rather than "unnecessary red tape and excessive bureaucracy."

He then unveiled what critics say amounts to a workaround designed to preserve the substance of the gift arrangement while technically distancing himself from the transaction.

According to Chivayo, a dealer identified as "Madzibaba Chipaga of Enterprise Car Sales" would instead sell Sibanda the Toyota Fortuner for just US$100, while the female employee would acquire the Toyota Aqua for US$50.

"No law restricts me from selling my property or assets at any price of my choice," Chivayo quoted the dealer as saying.

The arrangement effectively allows the employees to appear to purchase the vehicles themselves, although the economic reality mirrors that of a direct gift.

Chivayo also said he would send his lawyer, Mr Sikhumbuzo Mpofu, to collect the remaining US$27 000 from Zimpapers.

In a sarcastic swipe, he remarked that the money could help fuel the Range Rover Autobiography he had previously gifted to his lawyer.

A senior Zimpapers executive reportedly dismissed the latest arrangement, saying: "This changes nothing."

The controversy has reignited debate over corporate ethics, conflicts of interest and the influence of wealthy benefactors within Zimbabwe's media industry.