During the joint burial of Wicknell and Lucy Chivayo at Glenforest Memorial Park in Harare, his sister, who lives in the United Kingdom, delivered an emotional eulogy that highlighted a series of holiday invitations she had received from her brother in the weeks before his death.

She explained that Wicknell repeatedly urged her to travel with him, first suggesting a business trip to Kenya while she was visiting Zimbabwe, a proposal she initially declined because of her child’s upcoming school term in the UK.

After agreeing to the Kenya visit, Wicknell asked her to extend the stay, and the family subsequently spent time together in Tanzania before she returned to the UK.

Seven days after she flew back, Wicknell called again, this time inviting her, his wife Lucy and their children to a holiday in the Seychelles, which the sister said the family enjoyed together.

She described the Seychelles trip as a happy, warm period, but noted that only after Wicknell’s death did the significance of those moments fully settle on her, leaving her unable to finish her thoughts during the eulogy.

Mourners at the burial service responded with tears as the sister struggled to complete a sentence, with some family members suggesting she was trying to convey that she had not realized Wicknell was saying goodbye.

In the weeks leading up to his passing, Wicknell had posted images from the three destinations, showing yachts, private beaches and family gatherings, which many had previously dismissed as displays of wealth but now appear as intimate memories for his loved ones.