Uriri's past Chivayo gift resurfaces

Top lawyer Lewis Uriri, who on Monday rejected a US$250,000 Range Rover Sport Autobiography and US$100,000 in cash offered by businessman Wicknell Chivayo, previously accepted a vehicle from the businessman, according to videos circulating on social media.

The videos, shared on Tuesday by accounts supportive of Chivayo, show Uriri driving away in a Land Rover Discovery reportedly purchased for him from Pan Jap Motors in Harare for US$110,000.

The footage is believed to have been recorded in late 2023 or early 2024.

Uriri said on Monday that he last spoke to Chivayo, his former client, in June 2024.

The resurfaced footage comes a day after Uriri publicly declined Chivayo's latest offer, which comprised a Range Rover Sport Autobiography reportedly worth US$250,000 and US$100,000 in cash for Uriri and his wife.

"Your announcement came as a complete surprise, without prior notice or discussion," Uriri wrote to Chivayo on X.

"Given the distance that has developed between us since our last conversation, the substantial nature of the gifts, and their express connection to past professional services, I must approach this gesture with particular care."

Uriri said he considered it necessary to reject benefits that could create "a perception of personal financial obligation extending beyond a concluded and fully remunerated professional engagement."

"My wife and I attach great importance to preserving both our professional standing and public confidence in our independence," he said.

"We appreciate the generosity expressed and your acknowledgment of my past work. Our decision is nevertheless firm: we will not accept the vehicle or either of the cash gifts."

His decision was subsequently praised by several lawyers and public figures.

Advocate Thabani Mpofu said Uriri's decision demonstrated the importance of professional independence.

"His example reminds us that professional independence is not an abstract ideal. It is tested precisely when accepting would be easier than refusing," Mpofu said.

Lawyer and politician Job Sikhala also praised the decision, writing on X that Uriri had rejected "freebies tossed around for no service".

However, the resurfaced footage has prompted questions over Uriri's previous dealings with Chivayo.

Chivayo's supporters claimed on Tuesday that the lawyer had previously accepted the Land Rover and had also travelled abroad with his wife on a first-class holiday allegedly paid for by the businessman.

An Instagram post attributed to Uriri and apparently published at the time stated: "Some clients are Heaven sent! Got this for my 45th birthday."

One Chivayo supporter questioned why Uriri's concerns about professional independence had not prevented him from accepting the earlier vehicle.

The supporter argued that Uriri had continued to perform professional work after receiving the vehicle and questioned why similar concerns were being raised over the latest offer.

The claims have not been independently established beyond the material circulated on social media.

Uriri is part of a legal team preparing to challenge Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3), which introduced major changes to the country's electoral and governance framework.

Among other changes, the amendment provides for the President to be elected by Parliament rather than through a direct vote by citizens. It also extends the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and changes aspects of the constitutional succession framework.

The amendment was signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in July.

Chivayo's latest gifts were announced on the eve of Constitutional Court proceedings involving six war veterans challenging aspects of the constitutional amendment.

The timing of the announcement has prompted speculation on social media, with some commentators suggesting that the offer could have been intended to influence Uriri or persuade him to withdraw from the case.

There is, however, no publicly presented evidence establishing that Chivayo made the offer for that purpose.

The businessman has not publicly stated that the gifts were intended to influence Uriri's participation in the constitutional challenge.

ZimLive reportedly approached Uriri for comment on the claims concerning the vehicle, holiday and circumstances surrounding the earlier gifts.

Mpofu, who has continued to defend Uriri's decision to reject the latest offer, said the lawyer's past conduct should not detract from the decision he made on Monday.

"Let's assume Lewis has erred in the past. So what? If you wish; if you have the time, energy, and inclination; you can revisit his past and evaluate it for yourself. That is your prerogative. We won't stop you," Mpofu said.

"Today, however, we honour a once-in-a-lifetime decision: a correct decision, grounded in integrity and principle. That is what concerns us. We are entitled to celebrate him because today only one person had to make this decision and he made it."