“He brings nothing to the table!”: why Starlink rejected the partnership deal with Chivayo
Starlink rejected the offer for a 50-50 deal with IMC Communications owned by Wicknell Chivayo for it to start operating in Zimbabwe.
This was revealed by investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono after Starlink went live in Zimbabwe on 7 September.
Speaking on X yesterday, Chin’ono said the proposal on the table was for Starlink to take a 50% stake while Chivayo’s company would take the other half:
“Starlink resisted a proposal for a 50% stake, with Wicknell Chivayo’s IMC receiving 40% and the controversial Mutapa Fund getting 10%. My Starlink source told me this morning that they rejected the deal because the other parties were not bringing anything to the table except political capital.”
The Mutapa Investment Fund, formerly known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Zimbabwe, is a state-owned investment fund established to manage and invest surplus funds generated from Zimbabwe’s natural resources, such as minerals and commodities.
The sources told Chin’ono that there was a meeting in Harare days ago, involving DHL, a law firm representing Starlink, the secret service, the Ministry of Defence, and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) regarding Starlink.
“Starlink was supposed to dispatch the first 1,500 test kits from America to Harare this week, but they were informed that POTRAZ needed to sign off first, which has now been done. POTRAZ will also inspect and verify the kits upon their arrival in Harare.”
In May, 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that he has approved the licensing of Starlink to operate in Zimbabwe. He added that the satellite service would operate through a sole and exclusive deal with IMC Communications, owned by “businessman” and tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo of the Gwanda Solar Project fame.
In June, leaks revealed that Wicknell Chivayo had earned millions through an elections tender.
With his reputation in the mud, POTRAZ seemingly shared a contradictory update, saying it does not offer exclusive licenses.
Starlink will now sell kits directly to Zimbabweans with no intermediary.
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