Tinotenda Hove – The clash between controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo and opposition politician Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has escalated into a fierce exchange of words, with both figures taking to social media to trade barbs over the Gwanda Solar Project, ambulance donations, and allegations of corruption.

Posting on Friday, Chivayo lashed out at Mahere, describing her questions as “attention-seeking and CLUELESS” and accusing her of “perennial BITTERNESS against anything good done by ZANU PF.”

He dismissed Mahere’s reference to him as “VP Sir Wicknell” as “MALICIOUS” and “DISRESPECTFUL,” stressing that he has “NO intention WHATSOEVER of seeking ANY public or political office.” Chivayo insisted: “For the avoidance of doubt, I am an ORDINARY card-carrying MEMBER of ZANU PF, nothing more and nothing less. I will ALWAYS support ZANU PF but am NOT a politician… I am just a BUSINESSMAN, a PHILANTHROPIST and above all, a very SIMPLE YOUNG DREAMER whose only ambition is to one day become the YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE in Zimbabwe. WATCH THE SPACE !!!”

Responding to Mahere’s line of questioning about the controversial Gwanda Solar Project, Chivayo cited a Supreme Court judgment, saying: “The SUPREME COURT of Zimbabwe conclusively RULED that Intratrek Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd does NOT owe ZESA or the State a single cent !!! Please refer to judgement SC127/23. For you to continue harping on this Gwanda FAIRY TALE demonstrates your COMPREHENSIVE ignorance.”

On the cost of the ambulances he recently donated, Chivayo dismissed Mahere’s figures, claiming they were outdated and misleading. “These are 2025 STATE-OF-THE-ART, high-end Toyota Land Cruiser units, FULLY EQUIPPED with ICU technology, ventilators, oxygen systems and defibrillators. They are essentially MOBILE CLINICS which should have actually costed more than US$90,000 per unit, but I had to NEGOTIATE on the price,” he said.

He also accused Mahere of being “a FAILED politician, bitter critic and CLOUT chaser,” adding: “Zimbabwe does NOT need such NEGATIVE energy. We need BUILDERS, not shallow-minded and wanna-be lawyers who assume they are qualified to authoritatively comment on everything.”

In her original post on Thursday, Mahere had directly challenged Chivayo, writing: “Good day VP Sir Wicknell, thank you for your message. Is it true that you owe ZESA US$6,5 million in respect of the defunct Gwanda Solar Project? If not, have you delivered on the project?”

She went on to calculate that if the alleged US$6,5 million debt were offset against the cost of ambulances, Chivayo would still owe the State dozens more units. “Do you agree that US$6,5 million can buy 108 Landcruiser ambulances?” Mahere asked. “Assuming that you are yet to pay back the US$6,5 million for the Gwanda Solar Project, do you agree that you would have to buy 108 ambulances (not 20) in order to set off what you owe to the State?”

She added: “If this computation is correct, would you agree that you owe the State 88 more ambulances (108 in total) in addition to the 20 that you’ve allegedly donated? Can you see why we would say that this is not philanthropy but a set off in respect of what the reports suggest you owe the taxpayer?”

Mahere ended her post with a sharp political rebuke: “We need new leaders.”

The fiery back-and-forth highlights long-standing tensions over the Gwanda Solar Project, which has dogged Chivayo for years, and has once again placed him at the center of controversy as questions mount over government contracts, philanthropy, and accountability.