Zimbabwe minister exposes dire hospital conditions in rare rebuke

Youth Empowerment Minister Tinoda Machakaire has delivered a rare and candid assessment of Zimbabwe's ailing public health sector, calling on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to personally visit hospitals to witness the crisis firsthand.

In an unusually frank post on X (formerly Twitter), Machakaire recounted his dismay after visiting a public hospital to check on a hospitalised relative, saying what he saw "was deeply moving" and reflective of "serious challenges" facing ordinary citizens.

"I visited one of our public health institutions this morning to see a relative and left deeply concerned by the conditions I witnessed," wrote Machakaire. "The growing public outcry over our healthcare system is not an exaggeration; it reflects the difficult experiences of many citizens."

Breaking from the government's usual stance of deflection and denial, the minister warned that in the drive to showcase progress, authorities risk turning a blind eye to "important realities on the ground."

Machakaire, seen as a rising voice among younger government officials, made a direct appeal to President Mnangagwa: "Your Excellency… I respectfully plead with you: please find time from your busy schedule to visit these institutions yourself. There is no substitute for seeing, listening and understanding firsthand what our citizens are going through."

He praised activists and civil society organisations pushing for better healthcare, saying their advocacy is essential and should result in urgent reforms. "I commend those who have bravely called for improved healthcare services. Their courage to raise their voices on matters of public interest is vital in building a nation that truly puts people first," he added.

Machakaire's intervention comes amid intensifying public scrutiny of the country's collapsing health infrastructure. Most top officials, including Mnangagwa and his deputies, routinely avoid public hospitals, opting instead for treatment abroad—often at public expense.

The healthcare crisis was brought into stark focus last week following revelations by Ellen Rungani, daughter of the late retired general Victor Chikudo Rungani. She disclosed that her father died after failing to find a working ventilator at any of the capital's public hospitals, including the military's main facility at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks. A ventilator was only found at Mbuya Dorcas Hospital, run by the ZAOGA church, but it came too late to save him.

Public hospital pharmacies remain largely empty, with doctors frequently reporting shortages of essential drugs. Patients are commonly handed lists of basic medications to buy themselves—often including painkillers—before receiving treatment.

Machakaire's public plea is likely to raise eyebrows in a government not known for internal dissent, and it remains to be seen whether it will prompt meaningful action or simply draw rebuke behind closed doors.