Zanu-PF Youth League Rejects Chivayo's US$3.6 Million Parliamentary Donation

Ruling party faction warns against businessman's offer to give each lawmaker US$10,000, citing concerns over perceived influence.

The youth wing of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF has urged Parliament to reject a reported US$3.6 million donation from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, warning the move could suggest improper influence over state institutions²³.

Chivayo announced plans to distribute US$10,000 to each of Zimbabwe's 360 Members of Parliament and Senators, stating the funds were intended for community development and completion of stalled projects¹³. The businessman indicated he had received approval from President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the donation³.

In a statement issued by Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs John Paradza, the Zanu-PF Youth League said Parliament "cannot be seen as being bought or swayed through donations, be it in cash or kind, that appear transactional"². The statement described Chivayo as having acted "without a full appreciation of the proper role and functions of Parliament" and suggested he may have been "ill-advised"²³.

Paradza said the youth wing firmly opposed "any attempts, real or perceived, to influence any arm of Government"²³. He added that while Chivayo remained free to support development initiatives, such efforts should be directed at communities rather than state institutions²³.

The Zimbabwe Constitutional Movement accused Mnangagwa of orchestrating the donation through proxies to secure lawmakers' loyalty ahead of Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3, which critics say could allow the president to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms¹. The organisation called the donation "a deliberate and well calculated strategy" rather than an act of generosity¹.

The Youth League statement reaffirmed support for Mnangagwa and cited government infrastructure programmes as evidence the state possessed sufficient capacity to fund its own institutions².