Tinotenda Hove- Scores of people have gathered outside a funeral parlour in Harare’s central business district this afternoon, where the bodies of businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke are being held.

Family members of the late couple are expected to arrive to collect the remains for burial.

The crowd, which includes friends, associates and members of the public, began gathering in the morning, with numbers swelling as news spread that the family was on its way.

Security has been tightened around the parlour as mourners wait in a sombre atmosphere.

Chivayo, his wife Lucy, and three others died last week when their helicopter crashed at Kudenga Farm while flying from Gandami in Chikomba District to Marondera.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves across the country, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa conferring Provincial Hero status on Chivayo and describing him as a close friend.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced once the family has collected the bodies.