It was a grand gesture, a promise that captured the imagination of many.
In October 2023, controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo known for his ostentatious displays of wealth took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that he would gift a US$50,000 house to musician Chief Hwenje born Admire Sanyanga Sibanda.
The pledge came after he had already promised—and delivered—a brand-new Toyota GD6 vehicle.
The announcement sent waves of excitement through Shanyura Village in Mapanzure where whispers of admiration quickly spread.
It was a promise too bold to fail or so it seemed.
True to his word the car was delivered—a gleaming GD6, its polished exterior and powerful engine symbolizing status and privilege.
But the house? It never came.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. No groundbreaking ceremony. No foundation. No construction crews.
At first Chief Hwenje basked in the excitement of Chivhayo’s pledge.
But as time passed, his anticipation turned into uncertainty.
Despite the media spectacle surrounding Chivhayo’s generosity, the promised US$50,000 house became nothing more than an unfulfilled commitment.
While Chief Hwenje expressed gratitude for the car a lingering question remained: Where is the house?
Chivhayo, ever the showman continued to dominate social media touting his philanthropy.
He offered US$100,000 to recover US$75,000 stolen from his in-laws.
His online presence painted a picture of boundless generosity.
But on the silent plot of land where Chief Hwenje’s house was supposed to stand there was nothing.
The whispers of admiration have now turned to doubt.
Was the businessman’s pledge genuine? Or was it merely a public relations stunt to impress his political principal, President Emmerson Mnangagwa?
As months turned into a year the echoes of that grand promise faded into silence, overshadowed by new announcements and fresh pledges.
The GD6 remains the only tangible relic of that fleeting moment of hope—a reminder not just of what was given, but of what was withheld.
Meanwhile, sources tell our publication that Chief Hwenje has been evicted from a rented apartment in an affluent Harare neighborhood along Josiah Tongogara Avenue.
Now, with nowhere else to go, he has returned to his rural homestead in Zvishavane.
When reached for comment, he simply said: “Takadzingwa flat saka takugara kumusha.”(“We were evicted from the flat, so we are now staying in the rural areas.”)
Pressed about Chivhayo’s promised house he hung up.
Repeated attempts to contact him went unanswered.
Chivhayo, too, was unreachable for comment.
And so, the promise that once sparked excitement has become yet another unfulfilled pledge, lost in the wind
