Mnangagwa’s hospital photo-op backfires as leaked documents expose a secretive US$439M contract with South Africa-based TTM Global Medical Exports, raising questions about procurement, priorities and Wicknell Chivayo’s role.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent visit to Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe hospitals was meant to project concern and commitment. Instead, it has detonated a political firestorm. While the president claimed he was “gaining a clearer understanding” of Zimbabwe’s crumbling health infrastructure, documents and online revelations now suggest the visit was more about justifying a behind-the-scenes deal already in motion.
According to a leaked contract posted on social media by activist and former minister Mawarire Jealousy, Mnangagwa’s government recently signed a US$439 million agreement with TTM Global Medical Exports, a company registered in South Africa and more specifically, operating from a hotel suite in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Worse still, the deal was reportedly signed without a public tender, bypassing standard procurement protocols and raising alarms among anti-corruption watchdogs.
The Players: A Hotel Room, a Proxy, and a President
The registered director of TTM Global Medical Exports is Wicknell Chivayo, a known ally of the regime and a man whose business dealings have previously sparked national outrage. His luxury lifestyle and ostentatious giveaways are social media legend. But his sudden appearance as the face of Zimbabwe’s hospital rehabilitation effort is anything but comic relief.
“You didn’t visit the hospitals ‘to gain a clearer understanding’ of anything,” Mawarire posted in a scathing tweet. “You visited in order to justify… the monetization of our problems.”
He went on to accuse the president’s “obese proxy” a thinly veiled jab at Chivayo of masterminding the “presidential scheme” and manipulating public health needs for personal gain.
What the Documents Reveal
The contract posted by Mawarire, bearing the insignias of the Zimbabwean Cabinet and the South African firm, outlines sweeping obligations, including the supply of cancer treatment machinery and hospital equipment all to be delivered at a cost Zimbabweans are now questioning.
None of the clauses mention a public tender process or vetting by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), a red flag in a country where past medical procurement deals including the infamous Drax scandal have led to arrests, dismissals, and public outcry.
“This deal smells of Drax 2.0,” said a Harare-based procurement expert who requested anonymity. “Only this time, the players have learned to mask the stench better.”
Health Crisis as a Business Model?
Zimbabwe’s healthcare system has become a profitable arena for politically connected entrepreneurs. Hospitals lack basic supplies gloves, oxygen, bandages yet millions continue to be poured into opaque projects that rarely benefit frontline services.
Social media erupted over the revelation, with one user posting:
“We’ve gone from medical professionals to medical profiteers. Where’s the dignity in this?”
Another wrote:
“Sugar tax is funding presidential pals while we import paracetamol with donor money.”
The irony wasn’t lost on the public a country begging for essential drugs has just committed nearly half a billion dollars to a company housed in a luxury hotel. And all this under the guise of national healthcare reform.
No Accountability, No Shame?
Despite mounting criticism, neither the Office of the President nor the Ministry of Health has issued a statement confirming or denying the contract’s details. Attempts by journalists to reach PRAZ for comment were met with silence.
With election legitimacy still a contested issue and public trust in governance at an all-time low, the secretive nature of the contract has reignited debates about corruption, patronage, and elite impunity.
“Zvichapera hazvo manje manje,” Mawarire concluded “It will all come to an end soon.”
What Now?
The public is demanding answers:
- Was the contract approved by Parliament?
- Why was there no open tender?
- What due diligence was done on TTM Global Medical Exports?
- Why is Wicknell Chivayo repeatedly involved in multi-million dollar state contracts?
Unless answered urgently, these questions risk further delegitimizing the government’s “Second Republic” and turning its health reforms into a case study in crony capitalism.
Editor’s Note:
We will continue monitoring developments on this story. If you have evidence or information related to this contract or Zimbabwean health procurement, contact our investigative desk confidentially at editor@thezimbabwenewslive.com.
