Critics slam government over controversial contract awarded to businessman operating from a luxury suite in South Africa as Zimbabwe’s health system remains in crisis.
In a stunning twist to Zimbabwe’s ongoing healthcare saga, controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has been awarded a government contract to “rehabilitate” the country’s collapsing hospitals even as the registered business address for his company, TTM Global Exports, is a hotel suite in the upmarket Sandton district of Johannesburg, South Africa.
The news came to light after prominent journalist Ranga Mberi shared company registration details showing that Chivayo’s company is listed at Unit 105, DaVinci Hotel and Suites, a luxury property known more for its five-star spa treatments than hospital-grade renovations.
“Now that the half-bhidza contract has been awarded to their owner, suddenly hospitals are indeed in crisis,” Mberi tweeted. “Doesn’t matter if the business address is a Sandton hotel, ‘as long as hospitals are being fixed’.”
A Health System in Collapse
Zimbabwe’s healthcare system has been on life support for years underfunded, understaffed, and marred by corruption. Patients sleep on floors. Surgeons reuse gloves. And essential drugs have become luxury items. In such a dire context, one would expect the rehabilitation of hospitals to be handled with clinical precision not handed to a businessman whose corporate headquarters double as a minibar.
Health sector unions and civil society organisations have raised alarm over the apparent lack of transparency in awarding such a critical contract.
“How does a hotel room in Sandton qualify as a legitimate base of operations for fixing hospitals in Gokwe, Rusape, or Chipinge?” asked Dr. Tafadzwa Mupfurutsa, a Harare-based health policy analyst. “This is not just an insult to medical professionals; it’s a betrayal of patients.”
Chivayo: The Comeback King?
Wicknell Chivayo is no stranger to controversy. Once convicted of fraud in South Africa and infamously linked to dodgy energy tenders, Chivayo’s name has long been synonymous with scandal. His lavish lifestyle Rolex watches, Rolls Royces, and US dollar cash giveaways has earned him both admiration and scorn across Zimbabwe.
Yet despite his past, he appears to have found redemption in the eyes of the state. His social media pages have recently been filled with cryptic hints about “fixing the country” and cryptic Bible verses. Now, with this new hospital deal, Chivayo is being recast not just as a businessman, but as a national saviour.
“I was called for a time such as this,” Chivayo posted recently. “God lifts up His servants in front of doubters.”
Where is the Oversight?
There is, as yet, no public documentation outlining the terms, value, or duration of Chivayo’s hospital contract. No competitive bidding process has been disclosed. The Ministry of Health has not responded to media queries, fuelling suspicion that this is yet another example of crony capitalism under the guise of national emergency.
An official from the Auditor General’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that “no independent verification has been conducted on TTM Global Exports’ capabilities or track record in hospital construction.”
Public Outrage
Online, Zimbabweans responded with a mix of dark humour and fury:
- “This country is a sitcom. Next season: Wicknell opens a chain of trauma wards,” one user posted.
- “At this rate, even Econet is going to be asked to run the air force,” another tweeted sarcastically.
But others voiced despair.
“My aunt died last week because the clinic had no oxygen. Now we’re outsourcing miracles to Sandton hotel rooms?” said one user in a trending WhatsApp group.
Ko Vachambosvoda Here?
Ranga Mberi ended his viral tweet with the rhetorical: Ko vachambosvoda here? (Do they even feel shame anymore?). It’s a question many Zimbabweans are now asking not just of Chivayo, but of a system that continues to reward proximity to power over proven competence.
As cholera outbreaks resurface and maternity wards operate by candlelight, one must wonder is Zimbabwe’s health system truly being fixed, or is it just being Instagrammed from across the Limpopo?
