What will Makandiwa do when Chivayo's house of cards comes crushing down?

When greed and lust take hold, sanity and reason disappear.

In Zimbabwe, proximity to power has long functioned as an unwritten immunity shield, protecting a favored few from any meaningful scrutiny regarding their sudden and unexplained sources of wealth.

To directly receive my articles please join my WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08

For as long as one remains politically aligned or useful to the ruling elite, anti-corruption authorities routinely turn a blind eye, allowing individuals to acquire astronomical fortunes without ever having to account for a single dollar.

A clear case in point is that of 22-year-old Kelsea Tafirenyika. 

Despite having no identifiable or legitimate source of income, she managed to procure multiple high-end properties across Harare’s most exclusive suburbs within a strikingly short period. 

For years, state authorities paid no attention - a silence undoubtedly bought by her proximity to the corridors of power. 

Yet the moment her political shield crumbled and a fallout with the ruling elite occurred, she suddenly found herself under intense state scrutiny and official investigation. 

Her trajectory serves as a stark reminder of a fundamental truth in Zimbabwean politics: state protection is transient, and impunity lasts only as long as one remains politically useful.

This dynamic raises critical questions about the current spectacle surrounding flamboyant tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo. 

On one hand, Wicknell Chivayo uses his wealth to acquire luxury assets for his own personal use, including Gulfstream private jets, high-end timepieces, mansions, and elite vehicles.

On the other hand, he distributes his funds outward through hundreds of luxury vehicles, substantial cash grants, and high-value financial offers. 

His beneficiaries range from legendary musicians like Thomas Mapfumo to prominent religious leaders and entities, including United Family International Church’s Emmanuel Makandiwa, Zion Christian Church's Nehemiah Mutendi, and various apostolic groups.

All of this unfolds while Chivayo remains inextricably linked to severe, unresolved scandals - from the multi-million-dollar advance payment for the non-existent Gwanda Solar Power Plant to the R800 million payment flagged by South African authorities coming from Ren-Form CC following inflated state tender contracts.

Chivayo is not known for running any tangible manufacturing or value-adding production entities. 

His business footprint consists largely of shelf companies designed to capture lucrative government tenders. 

Yet, much like Tafirenyika before her downfall, law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies have displayed an astounding reluctance to question the origins of his wealth. 

The public is treated to continuous displays of staggering extravagance, complete with Gulfstream jets, multi-million-dollar mansions, and custom timepieces, all shielded by his overt allegiance to the ruling establishment.

The most troubling dimension of this phenomenon is not Chivayo’s grandstanding, but the eager participation of religious leaders who claim to represent moral authority. 

Why have these self-proclaimed spiritual leaders failed to raise concerns or reject these lavish offerings, despite the obvious possibility of them being tainted? 

As the supposed light of the world, should these spiritual leaders not understand the nature of political patronage in Zimbabwe, and thus keep a wide berth from such questionable figures? 

Or has greed and lust completely taken over? 

Have they been blinded by the love of money—which the Bible explicitly describes as the root of all evil?

This spectacle exposes these religious leaders for who they really are—people who use the cover of religion to exploit the poor through the “prosperity gospel” to enrich themselves. 

Long before Chivayo showed up with suitcases of hard cash, these leaders were already constructing mansions, buying expensive car fleets, and flying in private jets amid grinding poverty within their own congregations. 

They are cut from the exact same cloth as the politically aligned tenderpreneurs they associate with, operating on the very same predatory logic.

In any standard ethical framework, accepting massive cash gifts from an individual whose financial background is heavily clouded by tender corruption should invite deep soul-searching. 

Yet, instead of keeping a wide berth, leaders like Makandiwa have embraced these gifts, publicly validating and spiritualizing questionable riches.

The crucial question remains: what will happen when the political tide inevitably turns? 

If Chivayo suffers the same fate as Tafirenyika and falls out of favor with the ruling elite, his entire financial empire will come under the microscope. 

When that shield is removed and investigations commence, what will Makandiwa, Mutendi, and their peers say to their congregations? 

How will they explain accepting millions in hard cash that may ultimately be traced back to public funds meant for national development, healthcare, and infrastructure?

It exposes a troubling reality within the prosperity gospel movement: the line between tenderpreneurship and religious leadership has blurred completely. 

Both models rely on convincing the public to invest in promises of quick returns while those at the top build mansions, buy luxury fleets, and fly in private jets amid widespread economic distress.

Congregations must wake up to these realities and refuse to let their faith be weaponized as cover for dubious financial networks. 

Churches built on the patronage of politically aligned tenderpreneurs are ultimately houses of cards. 

When the foundation collapses, those who partook in the spoils will find themselves complicit in the eyes of both the law and history.

- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to contact him on +263715667700 or mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com