Controversial Businessman Secures Royal Audience for Eswatini Solar Project

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo met with King Mswati III to advance a major solar energy project in Eswatini. Chivayo's firm, Intratrek Holdings, announced it received royal backing to develop clean energy infrastructure to ease Eswatini's power deficit. Critics point to Chivayo's controversial history with stalled state power contracts in Zimbabwe as a major red flag for Eswatini's energy planners. However, supporters argue that direct royal patronage will bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks and accelerate project implementation. The project's viability rests on whether Chivayo can secure international financing despite his highly controversial business reputation.