Why dem love and hate Zimbabwe tycoon Wicknell Chivayo for Africa

Wicknell Chivayo, di Zimbabwean tycoon wey die for helicopter crash along wit im wife Lucy Muteke last week, divide opinion in life and continue to do so even as e don kpai.

E call imsef "Sir Wicknell", wey fit im lifestyle - and a nickname some pipo use for di 45-year-old wey pack enough controversy into im short life to last several lifetimes.

Im dey document im lifestyle, build much of im public persona on social media, wia e dey pose wit cash and announce di cars and money e give pipo wey e tok say dem deserve am.

E like to dey display im access to heads of state across Africa and showing off im possessions, dey conduct video tours of im fleet of expensive cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, wit vanity plates, watches and a vast collection of designer shoes.

Im admirers see rich man wey dey share im good fortune. Im detractors no dey like di display, and dem dey question di source of im money and im political connections, and dem see im lifestyle as stark illustration of inequality.

But di criticisms no shake Chivayo. As im fortunes rise, e continue to flaunt im wealth inside kontri wia nearly half of di population dey live below di international poverty line, according to di World Bank.

"E bin give to dose on an island of wealth in a sea of poverty," Pedzisai Ruhanya, director of di Zimbabwe Democracy Institute think-tank, tell di BBC, as e explain how im donations na mainly to influential pipo.

E dismiss Chivayo generosity as grandstanding for di ruling Zanu-PF party - an attempt to ensure di support of key politicians and even church leaders.

But pipo mourn am wen e kpai, especially pipo wey benefit from im money. Tributes also come from politicians, religious leaders and business figures.

Among di mourners wey gada for di Chivayo big mansion for di capital, Harare, ahead of im and im wife burial on Thursday, na Cleopas Mukungunugwa, wey be young and prominent Zanu-PF social media influencer and recipient of two luxury cars from Sir Wicknell.

Mukungunugwa stand outside di mansion wia massive poster of di couple dey displayed and tell local media say di death of im patron dey shock am. E explain how "Sir Wicknell" dey often tell am wetin e go write for im posts.

"Many pipo on social media criticise am and our goal na to boost im reputation as philanthropist," e tok.