HISTORY has a way of repeating itself. Once again, relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa appear set to flare up following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s emergency private visit to Zimbabwe, during which he spent time at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Precabe Farm in Kwekwe.
On the surface, the trip may appear innocent enough. However, the South African Press — and even a Government of National Unity coalition partner, the DA — have begun asking uncomfortable questions.
The Ramaphosa Presidency has so far held two Press briefings to clarify claims that the President knowingly met a person of interest to South African law enforcement during the visit.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa travelled to Zimbabwe at the invitation of President Mnangagwa and had no prior knowledge of who else would be present.
“As the Presidency, we’ve noted with concern reports identifying an individual who is a person of interest to our law enforcement, who was also present during the visit,” Magwenya said.
“President Ramaphosa had no prior knowledge of who would be present during the visit, nor is he familiar with the said individual.”
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The spokesperson did not name the individual in question. However, media reports and public speculation have identified him as controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo.
Chivayo is reportedly being sought by South Africa’s Hawks in connection with money laundering investigations involving more than R800 million linked to an election materials printing deal.
South Africa’s minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, also sought to clarify the matter following a Cabinet meeting.
“The President went to see President Mnangagwa . . . The President did not have a list of who was going to be there,” she said.
However, it is difficult to ignore that Ramaphosa claims no knowledge of Chivayo, despite widely circulated images showing the two together during the visit, including at the farm meeting.
South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks/DPCI) confirmed in January 2026 that investigations linked to Chivayo remain ongoing. The probe centres on suspicious transaction reports flagged by the Financial Intelligence Centre, relating to more than R800 million allegedly moved through South African banks from a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission tender.
Newsroom Afrika reported that tensions are resurfacing within the Government of National Unity, as the DA questions Ramaphosa’s unofficial visit to Zimbabwe. The party accused the ANC of using the trip to support what it describes as undemocratic leadership.
DA international relations spokesperson Ryan Smith said the visit suggests the President has not learned from past diplomatic challenges.
One such “past diplomatic challenge” brings back memories of the Khampepe Commission, established by former President Thabo Mbeki after Zimbabwe’s 2002 elections. The report, initially withheld by Mbeki, concluded that the election was not free and fair. It was only made public after more than 15 years of litigation by the Mail & Guardian.
For the record, the Khampepe report was clear: the 2002 Zimbabwean election did not meet standards of fairness.
Ironically, the Ramaphosa administration has reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism and due process, insisting that Chivayo will be pursued.
Magwenya said: “The President will further encourage our law enforcement agencies to continue pursuing matters under investigation involving these individuals, and to do so without fear or hesitation.”
It remains to be seen whether South African law enforcement will pursue all avenues to bring Chivayo before the courts.
Publicly, Chivayo remains a well-connected figure, frequently seen alongside regional leaders, including Presidents Duma Boko of Botswana, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, William Ruto of Kenya, and Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, among others.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa is increasingly described by critics as a lame-duck leader as his second term winds down.
He now faces political pressure following a Constitutional Court ruling that the National Assembly's vote on the Phala Phala matter was invalid and unconstitutional. The case involves allegations that more than US$500 000 was found hidden in furniture at his private game farm following a wildlife transaction.
Against this backdrop, questions linger: Will Mnangagwa distance himself from a controversial associate under pressure from South Africa, or stand by a long-time acquaintance despite the diplomatic heat?
And if Chivayo continues to move freely, while associating with Heads of State, what damage does that do to Zimbabwe’s international image?
Perhaps most striking is the silence in Parliament. The august House appears absent from the debate. In a fully functioning democracy, MPs would question the Foreign Affairs minister, Amon Murwira, about the nature of the visit, or Home Affairs minister, Kazembe Kazembe, about the allegations surrounding Chivayo.
The Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs would likely have already convened public hearings to scrutinise what appears to be a diplomatically sensitive episode.
For now, Zimbabweans are left to rely on South African media, South African courts, and South African parliamentary debates to piece together what happened on their own soil.
It may yet become another Khampepe moment — where silence, delay and political caution leave more questions than answers.
Whether Ramaphosa maintains silence, as he has in the past, remains to be seen.
What is already clear is that Chivayo’s presence in elite political circles continues to generate unintended diplomatic consequences.
Time, as always, will tell.
I’m out.