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In yet another explosive development raising questions about governance and transparency in Zimbabwe, controversial businessman and ZANU PF benefactor Wicknell Chivayo finds himself at the center of a massive procurement scandal — this time involving a contract worth US$439 million (R7.9 billion) for the supply of cancer treatment machines to government hospitals.
The company in question, TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd, is a South African-registered entity reportedly incorporated in November 2024 — barely seven months before being awarded the contract. The deal, which is allegedly part of a “presidential scheme for the provision of cancer treatment equipment,” was reportedly signed by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr. Martin Rushwaya. The agreement will see TTM Global receiving US$109,320,600 per year over four years.
What has fueled widespread outrage is not just the value of the contract, but the circumstances under which it was granted. Critics have accused the government of bypassing public tender procedures, awarding the contract without competitive bidding to a company that appears to have no track record in medical equipment supply. According to official company records, TTM Global lists its business address as the Da Vinci Hotel and Suites in Sandton, Johannesburg — a luxury hotel with no known medical manufacturing facilities.
“Dear @wicknellchivayo,” wrote opposition leader and lawyer Fadzayi Mahere on social media platform X, “Why is the physical address of your company a hotel? Is it a briefcase company? Does your company manufacture cancer treatment equipment at Da Vinci Hotel and Suites?”
By the time of publication, Chivayo had not issued a public response to the growing criticism. However, leaked documents shared by journalist Jealous Mawarire claim that Chivayo personally drafted the proposal that landed TTM Global the multi-million-dollar contract — a proposal that Mawarire says was submitted directly to the Office of the President, sidestepping the country’s procurement laws.
“Here are the first pages of the ‘proposal’ to run a ‘presidential scheme for the provision of cancer treatment equipment’ that Dumbuzenene (Chivayo) did,” Mawarire posted. “The rot in Emmerson Mnangagwa has now reached alarming levels.”
While the deal has yet to be formally acknowledged by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health, or the Office of the President, President Mnangagwa’s tweet on June 16, 2025 — stating he had toured Parirenyatwa Hospital, Sally Mugabe Hospital, and the NatPharm warehouse “to assess the state of the healthcare system” — has only added fuel to the fire. Many Zimbabweans viewed the tour as a thinly veiled public relations exercise meant to whitewash the controversial deal.
“Yesterday’s tour of hospitals by ED was a poor retrospective gimmick meant to sanitise the more than $400m heist that Rushwaya and ED pulled with the TTM Global scandal,” Mawarire added.
Further intensifying public skepticism is Chivayo’s growing portfolio of questionable state-linked ventures. In a separate development, another company linked to him — IMC Communications — has pivoted from telecommunications to road construction, with videos now circulating online showing IMC-branded trucks and workers involved in infrastructure projects. The firm, originally registered to provide fibre-optic and mobile services, was previously known for a failed Starlink partnership attempt that was swiftly discredited by Zimbabwe’s telecommunications regulator.
“How does a communications company get a tender for road construction?” one social media user asked, echoing the confusion and frustration shared by many.
This is far from the first time Chivayo has been tied to public contract controversy. A joint investigation by ZimLive and South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) revealed that Chivayo had received over R800 million from a R1.1 billion payment made by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance to Ren-Form CC for election supplies ahead of the 2023 elections. Much of the money was reportedly funneled to Chivayo’s companies — Intratrek Holdings and Dolintel Trading Enterprise — triggering red flags from the FIC for what they called “suspicious activity,” including rapid fund movement, round-figure payments, luxury purchases, and inconsistent transaction profiling.
Among the flagged transactions were:
- R5.4 million to luxury car dealer Daytona
- R36 million in personal vehicle purchases
- R1.6 million to travel agency Flight Centre
- R4 million to South African law firm Strauss Scher Inc
- R1 million to a Zimbabwean beauty brand
- A staggering R351 million to Asibambeki Platinum Group, a little-known firm with one director
Despite mounting criticism, Chivayo maintains his innocence. In a widely circulated audio clip, he appeared to apologise to President Mnangagwa and senior officials after implicating them in alleged corruption: “I apologise for creating the adverse impression that our institutions are involved in corruption.”
But as more Zimbabweans demand answers, questions linger: Why was a company formed less than a year ago, with no proven capacity or facilities, granted such a monumental contract? Where was the public tender notice? What criteria were used to evaluate the proposal?
So far, the silence from authorities has been deafening.
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