Wicknell Chivayo, the flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman, is attempting to bypass a corporate ethics policy at Zimpapers by arranging for a car dealer to sell luxury vehicles to employees at nominal prices. The move comes after the media house blocked Chivayo from gifting cars and cash to staff at Capitalk FM, citing a strict company ban on high-value gifts.
The dispute began following Chivayo’s visit to the radio station on May 5 for an interview. During the visit, Chivayo offered $1,000 to each of 30 employees within the radio division, handing the total sum to general manager Comfort Mbofana for distribution. In addition to the cash, he offered a 2025 Toyota Fortuner GD6 to presenter Phathisani Sibanda and a Toyota Aqua to a female colleague.
While Chivayo claims Mbofana approved the gestures on the spot, the gifts triggered an immediate internal crisis. Under a Zimpapers policy introduced in 2024, staff members are prohibited from receiving gifts exceeding $100, and all such gifts must be officially declared to the company. Because the cash gifts far exceeded this limit, the company ruled that employees could keep only $100 each, necessitating the return of the remaining $27,000.
The situation escalated for Phathisani Sibanda, who was presented with a stark ultimatum: reject the luxury Toyota Fortuner or resign from his position.
The “Nominal Sale” Strategy
In response to the corporate crackdown, Wicknell Chivayo tries to route cars around Zimpapers gifts ban by transforming the gifts into technical sales. In a detailed statement posted to X, Chivayo expressed surprise at the “unnecessary red tape and excessive bureaucracy,” arguing that media workers deserve appreciation for their service to the nation.
To circumvent the $100 cap, Chivayo announced a workaround involving a third-party dealer. He identified “Madzibaba Chipaga of Enterprise Car Sales” as the intermediary who would sell the vehicles to the employees. Under this arrangement, Sibanda would “purchase” the new Fortuner for $100, and the female colleague would “purchase” the Toyota Aqua for $50.
By structuring the transaction as a sale rather than a gift, Chivayo aims to remove himself from the legal paperwork of the transaction. He quoted the dealer as stating, “No law restricts me from selling my property or assets at any price of my choice.”
While this creates a paper trail of a legal purchase, the economic reality remains an outright gift, as the purchase prices represent a tiny fraction of the vehicles’ actual market value.
A Policy Born of Precedent
The rigid nature of the Zimpapers gifts policy is not accidental; it is closely linked to Chivayo’s previous interactions with the station. In 2024, Chivayo had previously gifted Sibanda a Toyota Aqua during a radio appearance. At that time, Sibanda was operating as an independent contractor, meaning Zimpapers had no contractual grounds to intervene or block the gift.
However, Sibanda’s status changed in January of this year when he joined the organization as a full-time employee. This transition brought him under the full jurisdiction of the company’s internal code of conduct and the 2024 gifts policy, which was specifically designed to prevent the kind of high-value influence and potential conflicts of interest associated with such lavish offerings.
The tension highlights a broader struggle within Zimbabwe’s media landscape between corporate governance and the culture of high-profile philanthropy often practiced by the country’s business elite.
| Item | Original Offer (Gift) | Proposed Workaround (Sale) | Policy Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Fortuner | Free Gift | $100 Purchase | Blocked/Contested |
| Toyota Aqua | Free Gift | $50 Purchase | Blocked/Contested |
| Staff Cash | $1,000 per person | $100 (Keep) / $900 (Return) | Strictly Capped |
Financial Fallout and Legal Maneuvers
The standoff has also involved Chivayo’s legal representation. To resolve the issue of the $27,000 in excess cash, Chivayo stated he would dispatch his lawyer, Sikhumbuzo Mpofu, to collect the funds. In a tone characterized by sarcasm, Chivayo remarked that Mpofu “probably needs it more than I do” to fuel a Range Rover Autobiography that Chivayo had recently gifted to the lawyer.
Despite the elaborate nature of the “sale” workaround, the corporate response from Zimpapers has remained unmoved. A company executive, speaking after Chivayo’s announcement regarding the car dealer, stated simply: “This changes nothing.”
The executive’s comment suggests that the company views the nominal sale as a transparent attempt to bypass ethical guidelines, and may continue to hold employees to the original ultimatum regarding their employment status.
This incident reflects the ongoing challenges of maintaining editorial and professional independence in environments where private wealth and public media intersect. For Zimpapers, the issue is one of institutional integrity; for Chivayo, it is a battle against what he perceives as stifling bureaucracy.
The next phase of the dispute will likely depend on whether Phathisani Sibanda and his colleague proceed with the nominal purchases and how Zimpapers chooses to enforce its employment contracts in the face of these technicalities.
Do you think corporate gift policies should be absolute, or should there be room for “nominal sales” in cases of philanthropy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
