The family of late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, is facing a painful farewell after announcing that mourners will not be allowed to view their bodies during the funeral ceremony.

The decision has been made following the condition of the couple’s bodies after the devastating helicopter crash that claimed their lives.

Speaking at Chivayo’s home in Harare on Friday night, October 2, as relatives, friends and associates gathered to mourn, family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed that there would be no body-viewing ceremony for either Wicknell or Lucy.

“The family has decided that there will be no viewing of the bodies,” Herbert said.

The announcement adds another painful chapter to a tragedy that has left the family and those close to the couple mourning their sudden deaths.

Wicknell Chivayo and Lucy Muteke died on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in Marondera, Zimbabwe.

The crash also claimed the lives of Chivayo’s aide, Senelisiwe Magagula, and the two pilots, Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda and Captain Courage Matavirwa.

As grief continues to grip the families, funeral wakes are being held in different parts of Harare as relatives prepare to give the victims their final send-off.

Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda is scheduled to be buried in Marondera on Sunday, October 4, while mourners continue gathering at his family home in Philadelphia, Harare.

A separate funeral wake for Captain Courage Matavirwa is also underway in Highfield, Harare, where relatives and friends have gathered to remember him.

QUESTIONS STILL HANG OVER THE HELICOPTER CRASH

Even as the families mourn, questions surrounding the fatal helicopter crash remain unanswered.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has said investigations are still ongoing and that the cause of the accident has not yet been established.

Initial findings indicate that fuel spilled from the helicopter following the impact, before a fire broke out at the crash site.

However, authorities have cautioned that the post-crash fire does not, on its own, establish what caused the helicopter to go down.

For the families of Wicknell Chivayo, Lucy Muteke, Senelisiwe Magagula, Captain Calvin Tafirei Soda and Captain Courage Matavirwa, the focus now remains on mourning their loved ones and preparing for their final farewell even as investigators work to piece together what happened in the moments before the fatal crash.