Zimbabwe-Belarus Health Sector Deal Sparks Transparency Concerns

A new agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus aimed at overhauling Zimbabwe’s healthcare infrastructure—beginning with the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals—has raised eyebrows over transparency and potential financial misconduct.

Critics have expressed concern over the opacity of the procurement process, warning that inflated costs could lead to misuse of public funds. Civil society voices are demanding full disclosure of pricing and contractual terms to ensure accountability.

Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been vocal in his criticism of the deal, pointing to a social media post by Youth Empowerment Minister Tino Machakaire that highlighted the deteriorating condition of the country’s health system. Chin’ono suggested that this post, made just before the Belarus deal was made public, was part of a deliberate effort to manipulate public sentiment. He described it as a “well-orchestrated attempt to mislead citizens.”

The health agreement followed a state visit by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and includes a letter of intent focused on upgrading the Parirenyatwa Hospitals and fostering broader health sector cooperation.

Chin’ono remains skeptical, especially after eight bilateral agreements were signed, spanning areas such as tourism, visa policies, disaster response, waste management, and media cooperation. He alleges that such deals have historically served as channels for siphoning public resources.

Referencing a previous fire truck procurement from Belarus, Chin’ono claimed that Zimbabwe paid nearly double the market price, with each truck costing US$474,296 instead of the more standard US$193,732. He suggested that the excess funds may have been pocketed by government elites.

“These deals are a façade,” Chin’ono argued. “Mnangagwa celebrates these purchases while secretly benefiting from the inflated prices.”

He emphasized the need for legal transparency in public procurement and challenged the government to release all pricing documents. “We won’t see those figures any time soon. It will take investigative journalists to uncover the truth.”

Chin’ono also questioned why Zimbabwe was sourcing equipment from Belarus, claiming that more cost-effective options were available in countries like South Africa, China, or within Europe—regions where he believes corruption is more difficult to execute.

He reiterated his suspicion that Machakaire’s earlier social media post was strategically timed to create the impression that government was responding to public outcry, while in reality, it may have been a cover for a pre-arranged deal.

“Pretending to care about the healthcare system right before signing a major deal—one that potentially benefits a corrupt elite—is manipulation at its worst,” Chin’ono said. “It’s hard to believe that both Machakaire and Mnangagwa were unaware of the dire state of our hospitals.”

He concluded with a call for vigilance: “We’re watching. Once the procurement details are available, we’ll investigate.”

The agreements signed during the Belarus visit covered a wide scope, including:

• Mutual visa exemptions for diplomatic and service passport holders

• Strategic cooperation planning for 2026–2030

• Collaboration on national disaster and hazard management

• Joint efforts in tourism development

• Support for small to medium enterprises

• Media and information partnerships

• Waste management cooperation

As scrutiny intensifies, calls for transparency and accountability continue to grow, with many Zimbabweans eager to ensure that development efforts genuinely serve public interests rather than enrich the politically connected.