Wicknell Chivayo Children: Meet John Chenjera and Atarah Minana-Chivayo

Wicknell Chivayo’s children have remained an important part of his personal story, particularly following the end of his marriage to Sonja Madzikanda. The Zimbabwean businessman had two children with Sonja, John Chenjera-Chivayo and Atarah Minana-Chivayo.

John was born in 2018, while Atarah was born on March 29, 2019. Their parents married in 2017, but their relationship later came to an end in 2024.

In the years following their separation, Chivayo’s relationship with his children became the subject of a legal dispute. The businessman sought access to the two children, and in April 2026, the High Court granted him visitation rights.

Then, in September 2026, tragedy struck when Chivayo and his new wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, were killed in a helicopter crash near Marondera. His two children from his previous marriage were not aboard the aircraft and were confirmed safe.

Who Are Wicknell Chivayo’s Children?

Wicknell Chivayo had two children with his former wife, Sonja Madzikanda.

Their first child is John Chenjera-Chivayo, who was born in 2018. Their second child is Atarah Minana-Chivayo, born on March 29, 2019.

The children were born during Chivayo’s marriage to Sonja. The couple had married in 2017 after Chivayo reportedly paid US$50,000 in lobola.

Although Chivayo was a well-known public figure, details about his children’s private lives have remained relatively limited. Most of the public attention surrounding them has focused on their parents and, more recently, on the legal arrangements concerning Chivayo’s access to them.

John Chenjera-Chivayo

John Chenjera-Chivayo is Wicknell Chivayo and Sonja Madzikanda’s first child.

He was born in 2018, making him the older of Chivayo’s two children from the marriage.

There is not a large amount of publicly available information about John’s everyday life, education, interests, or personality. His parents have largely kept those details away from the wider public, despite Chivayo being a highly visible businessman.

John’s name became more widely discussed when reports focused on the family situation following his parents’ separation. As the oldest child, he was one of the two children at the centre of the visitation dispute involving his father.

For Chivayo, maintaining a relationship with John was clearly important. The businessman later spoke about the emotional difficulty of being separated from his children and welcomed the court decision that allowed him to spend time with them.

Atarah Minana-Chivayo

Atarah Minana-Chivayo is Chivayo’s younger child with Sonja Madzikanda.

She was born on March 29, 2019, roughly a year after her older brother John.

Like her brother, Atarah has remained largely out of the public spotlight. There are few publicly reported details about her childhood and personal life, and the available information mainly concerns her family circumstances.

Atarah was still very young when her parents separated in 2024. Her father subsequently faced difficulties gaining regular access to his children, which eventually led to the court proceedings.

The court ruling in April 2026 provided a formal arrangement that allowed Chivayo to spend regular time with both children.

Chivayo’s Marriage to Sonja Madzikanda

John and Atarah were born during Chivayo’s marriage to Sonja Madzikanda.

The couple married in 2017. Their relationship eventually became a family with the arrival of John in 2018 and Atarah in 2019.

However, the marriage did not last permanently. Chivayo and Sonja separated, and their marriage ended in 2024.

Following the separation, the question of Chivayo’s access to his children became increasingly important. The situation eventually moved into the courts, with Chivayo seeking a clear arrangement for spending time with John and Atarah.

The dispute was not simply about occasional visits. It involved the wider question of how the children would maintain a relationship with their father after their parents were no longer together.

Court Grants Wicknell Chivayo Visitation Rights

In April 2026, the High Court granted Chivayo visitation rights involving his two children.

Under the reported arrangement, he was allowed to spend weekends with John and Atarah from Friday after school until Sunday evening. He was also permitted to have the children for one full week during each school month.

The ruling allowed both parents to retain full parental rights and responsibilities.

For Chivayo, the decision was significant because he had described the period away from his children as deeply painful. Being separated from them had clearly affected him emotionally, and the court ruling gave him a formal way to rebuild regular contact.

The arrangement also provided a clearer structure for the children, giving them an opportunity to spend consistent time with their father while continuing to live primarily with their mother.

His Children Were Safe After the Helicopter Crash

Wicknell Chivayo and his children became the subject of renewed public attention after his death in a helicopter crash near Marondera.

The crash occurred on September 30, 2026, at around 5 p.m. Chivayo was reportedly travelling toward Harare when the aircraft went down in a rural area.

Chivayo’s new wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, was also aboard the helicopter and died in the crash. Two crew members and two other people were also reported to have died.

However, John and Atarah were not on the helicopter.

Reports confirmed that Chivayo’s two children from his former marriage to Sonja were safe and had not been aboard the aircraft. This brought relief to people who had initially been concerned about the safety of his family after news of the crash spread.

Their mother, Sonja, remained the parent with whom the children primarily resided.

Wicknell Chivayo’s New Marriage to Lucy

Before his death, Chivayo had entered another marriage.

He married Lucy “Lulu” Muteke in March 2025. According to the supplied information, the couple did not have children together.

This meant that John and Atarah remained Chivayo’s two children from his previous marriage to Sonja.

Lucy became their stepmother through her marriage to Chivayo, but there were no reported biological children between Lucy and Chivayo before their deaths.

The family situation therefore included Chivayo’s two children with Sonja, his former wife, and his later marriage to Lucy.

A Father’s Relationship With His Children

Much of the recent attention around John and Atarah has focused on Chivayo’s efforts to maintain a relationship with them after his separation from Sonja.

His court-approved visitation schedule was designed to give him regular contact, including weekends and school-month stays.

Chivayo had spoken about how painful the separation had been. His gratitude following the court ruling reflected the importance he placed on being able to see his children again.

For John and Atarah, the arrangement meant having regular time with their father while continuing their primary residence with their mother.

Because the children are young and have largely remained outside the public eye, there is little reason to speculate about their personal feelings or experiences. What is clear from the reported court arrangement is that both parents retained parental rights and responsibilities.

What Happens to Chivayo’s Children After His Death?

The death of Wicknell Chivayo means that John and Atarah have now lost their father at relatively young ages.

However, they were confirmed safe after the helicopter crash and were not travelling with him or Lucy when the accident occurred.

The children primarily lived with their mother, Sonja, following their parents’ separation. That makes their mother an especially important figure in their lives as they move forward after the sudden loss.

There are many unanswered questions that naturally arise after the death of a high-profile parent, including family arrangements and future responsibilities. But the available information does not provide enough detail to speculate about those matters.

For now, the clearest fact is that Chivayo’s two children survived the crash.

Wicknell Chivayo’s Children and Family Legacy

Wicknell Chivayo was known publicly for his business activities, wealth, high-profile lifestyle, and controversial reputation. Away from those headlines, he was also a father to John and Atarah.

John Chenjera-Chivayo was born in 2018, followed by Atarah Minana-Chivayo in March 2019. Both children were born during Chivayo’s marriage to Sonja Madzikanda.

Their parents later separated, and Chivayo fought for regular access to his children. The April 2026 court ruling gave him a structured visitation schedule, allowing him to spend meaningful time with John and Atarah.

His sudden death later that year changed the family story once again. Chivayo and Lucy were among those killed in the Marondera helicopter crash, but his two children were not aboard the aircraft and were confirmed safe.

For John and Atarah, the coming years will be about growing up away from their father while carrying the memory of a businessman whose public life attracted considerable attention.

Despite the intense interest surrounding their family, the children themselves have remained mostly private. Their safety after the crash was the immediate concern, and thankfully, they were not among those lost in the tragedy.