HARARE — Zimbabwean musician Jah Prayzah has postponed his wedding to fiancée Rufaro following the death of businessman Wicknell Chivayo in a helicopter crash that also killed his wife and four others.
The wedding, scheduled for October 3, was put on hold as the couple joined Chivayo’s family in mourning.
“Wicknell was more than a friend to us. He was family, a brother,” Jah Prayzah said in a statement announcing the postponement.
The couple said the decision was made “out of love, respect and the need to grieve with family”, adding that they would resume their wedding plans “when the time is right”.
Chivayo had reportedly arranged for music legend Thomas Mapfumo to perform at the wedding, with reports putting the performance fee at about US$500,000.
Mnangagwa, Ruto mourn Chivayo
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he was “personally numbed and in deep shock and grief” following Chivayo’s death.
Mnangagwa praised Chivayo’s philanthropy, saying it had “run into millions of dollars”, and described him as a businessman who embodied the Second Republic’s vision of indigenous enterprise with a “human face”.
The President also said he had spoken to Chivayo about his plans on Tuesday, a day before the crash.
Kenyan President William Ruto also mourned Chivayo, describing him as a “dear friend” and expressing condolences to his family and those of the other victims.
Chivayo, his wife, two pilots and two other passengers died when their helicopter crashed at a farm near Marondera in Mashonaland East on September 30. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Chivayo’s death has triggered an outpouring of grief across Zimbabwe’s political, business, entertainment and sporting circles, reflecting his unusually high-profile relationships across the country.
