Chivayo-Linked Company Awarded R7.9 Billion Cancer Equipment Deal Amid Public Outcry

 A South African-based company linked to businessman and ZANU PF associate Wicknell Chivayo has been awarded a controversial US$439 million (R7.9 billion) contract to supply cancer treatment equipment to Zimbabwean hospitals — a deal that has triggered fierce criticism over procurement transparency and potential conflict of interest.

The four-year contract was signed between the Zimbabwean government and TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd, a firm reportedly incorporated in November 2024, raising questions over how a newly formed company secured such a substantial public health tender.

The deal is said to be part of a government programme labelled a “presidential scheme for the provision of cancer treatment equipment,” though critics have challenged the legality and ethics of how it was awarded.

According to official records, TTM Global Medical Exports is registered at the Da Vinci Hotel and Suites in Sandton, Johannesburg, a location that does not appear to house any medical manufacturing facilities. Critics have raised the possibility that the firm may be operating as a “briefcase company” with no clear capacity to deliver such large-scale medical equipment.

The contract was allegedly signed by Dr Martin Rushwaya, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, committing the government to annual payments of over US$109 million between 2025 and 2029.

The deal has come under intense scrutiny from opposition figures and civil society actors, who allege that due process was bypassed. Legal expert and opposition politician Fadzayi Mahere published a detailed public inquiry, demanding to know whether a competitive tender had been issued, and on what criteria the company was selected.

Mahere’s questions — posed directly to Chivayo on social media — also highlighted the company’s recent registration and questioned its operational legitimacy, asking:

“Does your company manufacture cancer treatment equipment at Da Vinci Hotel and Suites?”

As of Tuesday, no official response had been issued by Chivayo or the Office of the President.

Political commentator Jealous Mawarire released documents purporting to show that Chivayo himself drafted the initial proposal that led to the awarding of the contract. Mawarire alleged that the deal was signed without public tender, describing the move as a “heist” and “window dressing” by authorities attempting to legitimise a backroom deal.

“The rot in Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has now reached alarming levels,” Mawarire posted, alleging a systemic abuse of public procurement systems.

Meanwhile, another company tied to Chivayo — IMC Communications — has surfaced in videos circulating online showing road construction activity, despite the firm previously being known for telecommunications work, including its failed attempt to partner with Starlink in Zimbabwe.

The footage has sparked confusion, with users questioning how a telecom firm transitioned into infrastructure projects in such a short time. IMC Communications was originally registered to provide internet and mobile services under a Potraz licence, but now appears to be undertaking civil engineering work, with branded trucks, construction workers, and road equipment bearing its name.

No government statement has clarified how or why the company obtained these contracts.

Chivayo has been previously linked to a controversial election-related payment flagged in a joint report by ZimLive and South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). According to the report, Chivayo’s companies received over R800 million from a R1.1 billion payment made by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance to Ren-Form CC.

The FIC flagged these payments as suspicious due to the rapid movement of funds, round-number transactions, and spending patterns that included:

• R36 million on luxury vehicles

• R5.4 million to high-end dealership Daytona

• R1.6 million for travel expenses

• R4 million to a South African law firm

• R1 million to a Zimbabwean cosmetics brand

Chivayo denied any wrongdoing and issued an apology to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and senior officials after audio recordings allegedly implicating him were leaked.

On 16 June 2025, President Mnangagwa announced via social media that he had visited Parirenyatwa, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, and NatPharm warehouse to inspect health service delivery. However, critics described the tour as a “PR stunt” to deflect attention from the procurement scandal.

Jealous Mawarire remarked:

“Yesterday’s hospital tour was a poor retrospective gimmick meant to sanitise the more than $400 million deal Rushwaya and ED orchestrated.”

To date, neither the Ministry of Health nor TTM Global Medical Exports has publicly addressed the controversy.

With Zimbabwe’s public health sector facing chronic shortages, the awarding of a nearly half-billion-dollar deal to a newly formed company linked to a politically connected figure has sparked fresh demands for accountability, procurement transparency, and independent oversight.

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Source- Iharare