Fidelis Munyoro, Chief Court Reporter
The family of the late businessman and philanthropist Mr Wicknell Chivayo has formally registered his estate with the Master of the High Court, setting in motion the legal process for administering his vast business interests and personal fortune.
The Sunday Mail has established that the estate was registered about three weeks ago, and an initial meeting was subsequently held to discuss the way forward.
However, no executor or executrix has yet been appointed to take charge of the estate. This means the formal process of identifying and accounting for the assets, establishing outstanding liabilities and determining the eventual distribution of the estate is yet to begin.
Senior officials at the Master of the High Court confirmed the developments but declined to disclose details of the estate, whose value is believed to run into millions of United States dollars.
“We can confirm that the estate has since been registered about three weeks ago, and a first meeting held. But the executor or executrix of the estate is yet to be appointed,” said one source, declining to shed further light on the matter.
Another source close to the estate said the Master’s Office was not yet in a position to discuss its administration.
“We will get in touch with you when we are ready and have something to say about the estate, but as of now, we cannot give you the finer details of the estate,” the source said.
The registration marks an important preliminary step in what could become a complex process, given Mr Chivayo’s extensive business interests, personal assets and unresolved legal disputes at the time of his death.
Mr Chivayo died alongside his wife, Lucy Muteke, in a helicopter crash on September 30 in Marondera, leaving behind two minor children and a substantial estate whose administration is expected to attract considerable legal and financial attention.
One of the most significant outstanding matters is the US$25 million matrimonial property and asset division dispute involving his former wife, Ms Sonja Madzikanda, which had been awaiting determination by the Supreme Court.
