Sonja Louise Madzikanda has approached the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria) seeking to have a luxury jet linked to her estranged husband Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo grounded.
The latest development comes as the tycoon's ex-wife fights to secure a share of their assets while their divorce proceedings remain pending before the Harare High Court.
The urgent application, filed on January 20, 2026, forms part of a widening legal battle between the couple, with Madzikanda targeting a significant portion of their estate, including high-end properties, top-of-the-range vehicles and substantial funds held in multiple company accounts.
Court papers show that Madzikanda is seeking to block Chivayo from dealing with what she describes as joint matrimonial assets.
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In her draft order she seeks that Chivayo be "interdicted, restrained and prohibited from dissipating or concealing the joint assets... or acting in any manner that depletes, diminishes or reduces the value of the assets."
The assets in question include funds held in several companies and an upmarket property in Sandton, Gauteng, with Madzikanda arguing that there is a risk of the estate being tampered with before the divorce is finalised.
A key feature of the application is the private aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 300 jet, which Madzikanda wants immobilised. According to the order, aviation authorities are to "restrain, prohibit and interdict the further movement of that aeroplane" upon notification of its arrival at any airport under their control.
Madzikanda is also seeking orders against financial institutions and regulatory authorities to prevent any withdrawals, transfers or changes to ownership of the listed assets. The order directs that no transactions be processed that could reduce bank balances or alter property titles linked to Chivayo or his associated entities.
The South African proceedings run parallel to an acrimonious divorce case between the two, which is still before the Harare High Court under case number HCHF 62/26.
The dispute has already spilled into the courts through a separate custody fight, highlighting deepening tensions between the estranged couple.
Madzikanda maintains she is entitled to a substantial share of the matrimonial estate, and her latest court move signals a determined push to secure control over key assets with the luxury jet now at the centre of the escalating legal fight.
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