Chivayo Gifts Bishop Mutendi Rolls Royce Cullinan, US$250K on 87th Birthday
ZION Christian Church (ZCC) leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi marked his 87th birthday with an extravagant gift from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who presented him with a 2026 Rolls Royce Cullinan facelift and US$250,000 for fuel and personal use.
Bishop Mutendi celebrated his birthday on September 15, a date he shares with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The latest gesture adds to a series of donations Chivayo has made to religious leaders, musicians and other prominent figures.
Bishop Mutendi, who was born in 1939 in Bikita, Masvingo Province, has led the ZCC for nearly five decades.
He assumed leadership of the church in 1977 at the age of 37 following the death of his father and church founder, Reverend Samuel Mutendi, the previous year.
During his tenure, Bishop Mutendi has overseen the expansion of the church within Zimbabwe and beyond the country’s borders.
The ZCC has established schools and other institutions in Zimbabwe while expanding its presence internationally, with congregations in several countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The church’s headquarters are at Defe Dopota in Gokwe, where its founder, Reverend Samuel Mutendi, is buried.
Bishop Mutendi has pursued a mission centred on “taking Zion to the world and the world to Zion”, as the denomination continues to expand its footprint.
His birthday celebrations come ahead of two major events on the ZCC calendar, the Kudzaka Gomo and Mbeu Conference, expected to be held at Mbungo in Masvingo towards the end of October.
Congregants and well wishers from Zimbabwe and abroad are expected to attend the gatherings.
Chivayo’s latest gift follows another substantial contribution to the church earlier this year.
During the ZCC Easter Conference in March, Chivayo donated US$1 million towards church projects, while Bishop Mutendi received US$450,000 and a Mercedes Benz Maybach.
The businessman has become known for presenting high value vehicles and cash gifts to prominent personalities, including church leaders, musicians and sports figures.
The Rolls Royce Cullinan and US$250,000 gift adds another chapter to that trend, while marking Bishop Mutendi’s 87th birthday and almost five decades at the helm of one of Zimbabwe’s major indigenous Christian denominations.
