By a Correspondent
Top lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri has declined a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography valued at US$250 000 and US$100 000 in cash offered to him by businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
Chivayo offered the luxury vehicle, US$50 000 for fuel and another US$50 000 for Uriri’s wife, while publicly praising the lawyer for his professional work.
However, Uriri and his wife rejected the gifts, saying he had not undertaken any professional work for Chivayo since June 2024 and therefore had no basis for accepting the benefits.
Uriri said the previous work he had done for Chivayo was performed in his professional capacity and had been fully remunerated.
“My wife and I have carefully considered your announcement and must respectfully decline the vehicle and both cash gifts,” Uriri said.
“For clarity, we last spoke in June 2024, and I have undertaken no professional work for you since then. The historical work to which your tribute refers was performed in my professional capacity and paid for in full.”
Uriri said Chivayo’s announcement came as a surprise because there had been no prior discussion about the gifts.
He said the value of the proposed gifts, coupled with their connection to past professional services, required him to consider the offer carefully.
Uriri said accepting the gifts could undermine the professional independence expected of legal practitioners and create a perception of a financial obligation arising from a concluded professional engagement.
“Zimbabwe’s Legal Practitioners’ Code of Conduct requires us to preserve our integrity, safeguard our professional independence and maintain public confidence in the profession,” he said.
He also cited international legal principles which emphasise the need for lawyers to maintain independent professional judgment and avoid conflicts arising from personal financial interests.
Uriri said he and his wife attached importance to protecting his professional standing and public confidence in his independence.
Chivayo has in recent months made high-value cash and luxury gift offers to a range of public figures, including lawyers, church leaders, politicians and musicians, although some recipients have declined such gifts.
