Although it has been widely reported that Bona Mugabe's husband Simba Chikore is a pilot, possibly for Emirates or Qatar Airways, a British newspaper has established that he does not work for either and people in the aviation industry in Southern Africa have never heard of him.
Little is known of him except that his mother, Christine, is known as a "reverend" in a church group known as the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa. Investigations have revealed that while Bona is 24 years old, Simba is 37 years old - 13 years older than his beloved wife.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding. Last night a source said he trained at the Airforce using the name Mawungwe and he only was only attached to a few airlines for further training and gain a few hours of flying. The source said Simba is nowhere near 250 hours required to fly commercial airlines.
South Africa's Independent Newspapers group reported Sunday that both Emirates and Qatar airlines denied Chikore worked for them.
Another source said since the death of the First Family's private pilot Wing Commander Edwin Tanyanyiwa who was Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa's son, Chikore was groomed and trained at Thornhill Airbase to be President Mugabe's helicopter pilot.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) weddingThousands of people attended the no-expense-spared family event broadcast live by the ZBC-TV but from which media organisations not owned by the State were banned.
South Africa's President Jacob Zuma attended the event along with top-Mugabe ally, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Zambia's Michael Sata and other former leaders from the region.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) weddingLast year Chikore paid $35,000 and 15 cows to President Mugabe for the hand of his daughter in marriage. The traditional marriage ceremony was held at Mugabe's rural Zvimba home.
The lavish wedding, said to have cost about $5 million, has been criticised by many, especially as it followed President Mugabe's $1 million 90th birthday party.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) weddingThe lavish spending comes at a time the country has been appealing to the UK for funds to ensure some 250,000 underprivileged children are not thrown out of school for failing to pay fees.
A junior officer with the central intelligence organisation (CIO) also said Simba Chikore was a playboy ill-suited to be Bona's husband.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding"Simba Chikore aka Mutsahuni - 37 years old is the son of a Zaoga leader. He attended school at St Johns High and finished in 1996 as a head boy. He later went for flight school in Chicago Ilinois where he stayed briefly. He later returned to Zimbabwe and worked for Air Zim where he left in 2010," the CIO officer said Sunday.
He is a workout addict and also much into bike riding. He is known for womanising from his high school days and recently involved in a spate of affairs which were glossed over by the team that prepared the final report.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding"This man was deemed too old for the first daughter and too tainted to be involved with her. We managed to do surveillance on some of the women involved including some foreign white girls.
"Most of the info that we harvested reflected a man who is not fit to be the First Son-in-Law but as fate would have it, the information was heavily massaged to fit the criteria that would please H.E."
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding An effusive, Grace Mugabe, claimed last year that her daughter had married a virgin in remarks that raised eyebrows around the country.
"She has listened to me and I spoke to Simba and I told him that I want my daughter to get married when she is still a virgin and he respects that," said the First Lady.
The claim was dismissed as ridiculous by the CIO officer who said Simba and Bona travelled together abroad on several occasions and shared hotel rooms.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding He added: "We as junior officers are grieved by the amount being used for this private affair. Guests including Koffi Olomide are staying at the Meikles (hotel) where security is high.
What pains us is that the wedding is being done at a cost of $5million when the country is failing to pay for school fees for all graduates under the Presidential scholarship and failing to do the same for disadvantaged kids in the country."
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding Meanwhile, every individual involved in planning and working at the event was required to sign a privacy agreement. The elaborate and carefully stage-managed wedding, daughter Bona Mugabe, in a glittering white gown, was married in a huge white marquee in the garden of the family mansion. Simbarashe Chikore, the mysterious groom, now married into the rich Mugabe family, wore a silver- spangled jacket.
Most reports from Harare claim he is a pilot, while some are now questioning whether he is a member of the feared Central Intelligence Organisation. Aviation insiders in Harare say they have never heard his name as a pilot.
CIO member speaks out over Bona (24) and Simba Chikore's (37) wedding While opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was not invited to the wedding of the year, a former opposition leader Arthur Mutambara was one of 4 000 guests at the wedding which took place on a hot, cloudless day.
A total of 68 sitting and former heads of state and government were invited, but sources in government said only about 10 attended. President Michael Sata had a special place at the wedding since his daughter was apparently Bona's maid of honour.
