President Cyril Ramaphosa was photographed walking alongside Joachim “G6” Chivayo, a declared wanted man by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in South Africa, while on a trip to Zimbabwe.
Image: Presidency / X / Supplied
The Presidency said that they “understand the criticism” and the concern raised after President Cyril Ramaphosa was photographed walking alongside Joachim “G6” Chivayo, a declared wanted man by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in South Africa, while on a trip to Zimbabwe.
Chivayo — widely known on Zimbabwean social media for his high-flying lifestyle — was declared wanted by Hawks after failing to appear in court in connection with a R15 million gold case.
The development builds on IOL’s November 28, 2024 report detailing the arrest of Chivayo and Ayanda Brian Gungwa after they were found in possession of six bars of unwrought gold valued at approximately R15 million during a Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation operation in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. A Mercedes-Benz SUV was also seized at the time.
While hosting a media briefing on Wednesday to update the public on the president’s programme, Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, began by explaining how the president ended up alongside the wanted individual.
“The president undertook a working visit to the Republic of Zimbabwe at the invitation of His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The visit was an opportunity for both heads of state to engage over a wide range of issues of mutual and bilateral interest.
“South Africa and Zimbabwe maintain a deeply historical relationship of bonds that were formed during their respective struggles against colonialism and Apartheid. The two countries further enjoy a political and dynamic trade relationship,” Magwenya said.
According to Magwenya, Ramaphosa and Mnangagwa opted to move their meeting to Mnangagwa's farm. This setting was chosen to allow for a relaxed discussion, free from the strict protocol of formal presidential engagements.
In addition to the scheduled talks, Ramaphosa was particularly interested in understanding President Mnangagwa's strategies for supporting local farmers in the area, according to Magwenya.
He further acknowledged that reports have emerged since Ramaphosa's visit, expressing concern over the presence of an individual identified as a “person of interest” to South African law enforcement during the visit.
Magwenya said that Ramaphosa had no prior knowledge of who would be present during the visit, and he was unfamiliar with Chivayo.
“The president flew to Zimbabwe for a meeting with his counterpart and nothing else. The president will further encourage our law enforcement agencies to continue pursuing the matters that are under investigation involving this individual, and to do so with no fear or any form of hesitation.”
When asked if he understood the message it sends out to the public and the local law enforcement, Magwenya said: “One would understand the criticism, one would understand the concern when our president is being seen in a foreign country with people that have been described as persons of interest to our law enforcement. That will be understandable.
“But equally, I would beg you to appreciate the fact that the president was invited by his counterpart in Zimbabwe. He had no prior knowledge of who would be there. The meeting was arranged to be a very informal, relaxed sort of engagement, over serious issues concerning two countries,” Magwenya said.
“The president would not have had a kind of sense of who would be there, and when he was there, he still had no sense of who this person was, until the reports surfaced, and we pointed out to him that this is now the issue.
“That's why the message is quite important that the president encourages our law enforcement agencies to vigorously pursue and continue to pursue the investigations that they've commenced against these individuals and/or individuals without any hesitation.
“They shouldn't hesitate just because they've seen these pictures, doing the rounds on social media. They should and do so with the independence that they have, which is embedded within our legal framework,” Magwenya said.