> Let's Forward this Post Everywhere ❕ *Chivayo Pledges US$1 Million Sponsorship To Highlanders: Critics Dismiss Move As Zanu PF Ploy To Capture The Matebeleland Vote And Nullify Chiwenga’s Popularity As Bulawayo Mkwenyana* Also Read Below: *Questions Swirl Over Source of Wicknell Chivayo’s US$1 Million Sponsorship to Highlanders FC* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDkMuTFCCoNC13vvo2V _*©Eragon Online News*_ *_(Follow this channel to read more...)_* *Group Link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/CDyzvhE1ey5H89lorhyIvn *_Source: By Dorothy Moyo via ZimEye_* 👇🏼 https://www.zimeye.net/2025/06/11/questions-swirl-over-source-of-wicknell-chivayos-us1-million-sponsorship-to-highlanders-fc/ Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has announced a landmark US$1 million sponsorship package for Highlanders Football Club, revealing that the pledge is in fulfilment of a deathbed promise made to his late uncle, former Vice President John Landa Nkomo. In a social media post on Wednesday, 11 June, Chivayo declared his deep-rooted connection to the Bulawayo-based club, affectionately known as “Bosso,” and outlined a multi-layered support plan to revive its competitive edge. The sponsorship will begin with an immediate cash injection of US$250,000 to assist with the club’s administrative needs. Chivayo said the remaining US$750,000 will be disbursed over the next year, specifically earmarked to help the club secure new talent and cover player sign-on fees for a more competitive 2025 Premier Soccer League season. Citing a powerful final conversation with the late Vice President Nkomo in December 2012, Chivayo said his uncle had three dying wishes for him: to support the ruling ZANU PF party, to look after the family trust, and to provide meaningful support to Highlanders FC. Chivayo wrote: Being the avid football supporter that he was, he asked me to assist Highlanders FC in every possible way, in order to preserve its HISTORY, shape its FUTURE, and create a lasting LEGACY of the football club in Zimbabwe, for GENERATIONS to come. To ensure financial transparency, Chivayo has appointed a curator, Jabulani Nkomo, a Bulawayo businessman and trusted relative, to oversee the disbursement of the funds. Said Chivayo: I have nominated JABULANI NKOMO, a long-standing, trusted relative of mine and a successful businessman who’s a respected figure in BULAWAYO, to assist the Club in a CURATORSHIP role. His involvement will ONLY be to work closely with the leadership of Highlanders FC, ensuring that the disbursement of this sponsorship is strictly in ACCORDANCE with the Club’s budgeted expenditures to support PLAYER WELFARE and strengthen administrative excellence. Chivayo described the 98-year-old club, founded by grandsons of King Lobengula, as a “phenomenal cultural icon that represents heritage, pride and unity.” He also framed his contribution within a national context, aligning it with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for private sector involvement in national development under Vision 2030. Chivayo said: It is my humble CONVICTION that there should be significant private-sector involvement in sports development, in order to make a NOTABLE difference to the game of FOOTBALL. This latest multi-million dollar pledge is not the first time Wicknell Chivayo has extended financial support to Highlanders. Earlier this year, the businessman was instrumental in helping the club avoid a FIFA transfer ban by settling an outstanding US$27,000 debt owed to former coach Baltemar Brito and his assistant, Antonio Joao Torres. That intervention was critical, as the ban on registering new players threatened to cripple the team ahead of the Premier Soccer League season. Chivayo’s history of support dates back even further, as he also covered a US$4,000 fine imposed on the club in 2017 following crowd trouble during a match against rivals Dynamos. *Questions Swirl Over Source of Wicknell Chivayo’s US$1 Million Sponsorship to Highlanders FC* Flamboyant businessman and political benefactor Wicknell Chivayo has once again made headlines, this time after announcing a jaw-dropping US$1 million sponsorship deal for Highlanders Football Club — Zimbabwe’s second-most supported football team. But while fans celebrate, serious questions are being raised about the source and legitimacy of the funds behind the dramatic gesture Chivayo, who has faced repeated accusations of tender fraud, money laundering, and illicit enrichment, declared on Facebook this week that his love for Bosso — and a family promise to the late Vice President John Landa Nkomo — had inspired him to bankroll the club’s revival. He stated that US$250,000 has already been disbursed in cash as the first tranche of his sponsorship pledge. “It is my greatest pleasure to avail US$250,000 in cash as part of a broader US$1 million sponsorship package to help preserve Highlanders’ history and shape its future,” wrote Chivayo. But Where Is the Money Coming From? While fans danced in the streets of Bulawayo and #bossongenkani trended online, economists and governance watchdogs have sounded the alarm. “It’s irresponsible for any major institution — let alone a century-old football club — to accept large sums of cash without demanding audited proof of source,” said one anti-corruption analyst, Terrence Dube. “Given Chivayo’s ongoing public controversies and links to state procurement scandals, this sponsorship risks laundering not only money but also public perception,” he added. The Ministry of Finance recently came under fire for disbursing over US$4.2 million to a company linked to Chivayo’s business circle, Betterbrands Petroleum. That transaction, exposed via a leaked Treasury letter, sparked public outrage over alleged abuse of public funds routed through the National Budget. The timing of the Highlanders deal — mere weeks after that revelation — has raised eyebrows. Critics argue that diverting illicit funds into popular causes is a classic soft-power strategy used by politically connected elites to sanitise their reputations and entrench influence in civil society. Chivayo’s “Curator” and the John Landa Nkomo Connection In a move to deflect accountability concerns, Chivayo has appointed Jabulani Nkomo, a family relative and Bulawayo businessman, to oversee the use of the funds at Highlanders. Chivayo says Nkomo will serve as a curator, ensuring compliance with the club’s budget and that “every dollar benefits the players and administrators.” But observers note that the lack of a formal trust fund, third-party audits, or ZIFA oversight renders the arrangement vulnerable to abuse. “There’s no framework. No audit trail. And this is the same man who previously failed to deliver on the Gwanda solar project after receiving US$5 million. Are we seriously trusting him again — with cash, and with our national football legacy?” asked one prominent supporter-turned-critic. A Club Between Gratitude and Governance Highlanders FC, founded in 1926 by the grandsons of King Lobengula, is one of Zimbabwe’s most revered institutions. The move has put the club in a difficult position — caught between welcoming a much-needed financial injection, and protecting its name from potential reputational harm. ZIFA, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), and Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) have yet to comment on whether they have been consulted or have oversight over the arrangement. As supporters chant “Bosso Ngenkani” and welcome the prospect of a title-challenging squad, the unanswered question remains: Is this football funding — or political theatre funded by the ghosts of stolen tenders? *ZimEye*