Wicknell Chivayo Under Fire for ‘Disrespectful’ Sitting Posture During Meeting With Tanzanian President

Wicknell Chivayo Under Fire for ‘Disrespectful’ Sitting Posture During Meeting With Tanzanian President – Flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman Sir Wicknell Chivayo has once again found himself trending for all the wrong reasons — this time for how he sat during a high-level meeting with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Chivayo, who has become known for cozying up to African Heads of State, took his regional tour a step further by paying a courtesy visit to President Suluhu in Tanzania.

Prior to that, he had already rubbed shoulders with Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Kenya’s William Ruto.

Taking to his social media platforms on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, Chivayo shared photos from the meeting and showered praise on the Tanzanian leader.

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In an emotional post, he described Suluhu as a calm, firm and motherly figure, drawing parallels between her and his late mother.

“In her, I always see the embodiment of motherly strength… Her tone is always gentle, her humility is constant, but her command is FIRM,” he wrote.

However, while Chivayo was singing praises, social media users were singing a different tune.

In one of the viral photos from the meeting, Chivayo is seen lounging in a gold-trimmed armchair — legs stretched out, one hand on his phone, and his body reclined like he was relaxing at a hotel.

Meanwhile, President Suluhu sits upright, focused and composed.

Tanzanian citizens did not take kindly to what they perceived as arrogance and a total lack of decorum. Some wondered how Chivayo got access to such meetings in the first place.

Prominent Tanzanian media personality Maria Sarungi Tsehai was among the first to react, tweeting:

“Who is this guy? He seems overly comfortable at the State House, like he’s the one in charge!”

As the photos circulated online, both Zimbabwean and Tanzanian users had a field day dissecting Chivayo’s posture, motives, and mysterious wealth.

Here are some of the reactions:

@Shumba_Hondo: “He’s sitting like he owns the place. Tanzanians, stay alert.”

@RealComradeK: “Only someone who feels bigger than the president would sit like that.”

@BigTomOfficial: “Let’s be honest — his size makes it hard to sit properly. Maybe that’s all it is.”

@MaiNdiroZim: “Man’s a millionaire, yet no one knows what he actually does. It’s all very suspicious.”