A formal letter from South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has put renewed focus on claims that Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo was under investigation for money laundering.
The letter, dated 24 August 2026, states that the DPCI had made the necessary enquiries and confirmed that, as at that date, there was no investigation being conducted against Chivayo or Intratrek Holdings (Pty) Ltd concerning allegations of money laundering.
The development comes after months of public commentary portraying Chivayo as the subject of a South African criminal probe.
The claims were further amplified after reports linked financial transactions involving South African companies to Chivayo. However, the Hawks publicly stated in July that they had no such case on their system, while News24 subsequently apologised for incorrectly reporting that Chivayo was being investigated by the Hawks and Financial Intelligence Centre.
The latest letter now provides a written confirmation from the DPCI itself.
For Chivayo’s critics, the development raises an uncomfortable question: if there was an active DPCI investigation, where was it?