Chivayo exposed as the beneficiary of cancer machine contract

Embattled businessman and ZANU PF-linked tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo has been exposed as the beneficiary of a staggering US$437 million government contract for the supply of cancer treatment equipment - a deal clinched without going through public tender procedures.

Despite Chivayo's public denials last week amid rising scrutiny, leaked official documents have confirmed that his company - through a South African-registered entity - secured the deal under questionable circumstances.

The documents reveal that the massive four-year contract, signed in March 2025, was awarded to TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Limited, a company closely linked to Chivayo. The contract was signed between TTM Global, represented by its chief executive Rouxne Styger, and the Office of the President and Cabinet, represented by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya.

Sources close to the transaction say Chivayo's opulent DaVinci Hotel and Suites penthouse in Sandton, Johannesburg, is regularly used as the operational address for TTM Global, reinforcing suspicions about his direct involvement in the deal.

The agreement, which covers the supply of at least 178 units of cancer treatment equipment across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, is valued at US$437,282,400, with annual payments of US$109,320,600. The initial deposit of US$52.5 million was to be made within 14 days of the signing, with the remaining balance structured into monthly instalments of US$9.1 million.

The scandal surfaced after Chivayo reportedly fell out with a consultant contracted to draft the proposals, leading to a leak of internal documents detailing the deal.

Critics have slammed the government for bypassing procurement laws and failing to subject the contract to competitive tender. Public finance watchdogs argue that the transaction not only breaches the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, but also points to deep-rooted cronyism and corruption at the highest levels of government.

Chivayo, a controversial figure with a history of botched multimillion-dollar government tenders - including the infamous Gwanda solar project - has previously denied involvement in several shady deals only to be exposed later.

While he has sought to downplay his role in the cancer equipment saga, analysts and opposition voices say the pattern is familiar: state capture masked by denial and sanitized through elite networks.

"This is another textbook example of how public health emergencies are being turned into cash cows for politically connected individuals," said a former senior government procurement official who requested anonymity. "Meanwhile, public hospitals are crumbling and cancer patients can't even access basic diagnostics or care."

The deal also raises ethical concerns amid Zimbabwe's deepening healthcare crisis, with many cancer patients dying due to lack of treatment, equipment, and essential drugs.

Transparency advocates are now calling for an independent audit and parliamentary inquiry into the contract, while others are demanding that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Auditor-General's Office investigate the procurement.

Despite mounting pressure, neither the Office of the President and Cabinet nor Chivayo has responded substantively to the revelations.

The scandal has become a fresh litmus test for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's anti-corruption rhetoric, as calls grow louder for accountability in the face of what many see as another looting spree under the guise of public service delivery.