National

Mpilo doctors demanding bribes from patients, Parliament told

Published

3 years ago

November 5, 2022

BY STAFF REPORTER

Doctors at government hospitals such as Bulawayo’s Mpilo Central Hospital are demanding bribes of up to US$700 to conduct surgeries on patients, the National Assembly has been told.

Makokoba MP James Sithole made the claims while raising a matter of national interest in Parliament on Thursday.

He said the developments were a sign of decay in the delivery systems at central hospitals.

“I will give an example of what is happening at Mpilo Central Hospital,” Sithole said.

“I am referring to corrupt activities, which are unnecessarily exposing patients that are already suffering to more suffering and to premature death.

“There are patients that have been on the queue to go to theatre since December 31, 2021 and they have not been able to have the opportunity to go to theatre.

“The reason is that each time their allocated dates arrive to go to theatre, excuses are given.”

He added: “They are told that there are no doctors to attend to them; they are told that there are no necessary materials in the theatre; they are told that their temperature is too high for them to go to theatre.

“However, the truth is that it is because they would have not paid a bribe to doctors that range between (US)$300 to (US$) 700 or more.

“Surprisingly, doctors are able to carry out procedures using the same theatres on their private patients without paying anything to the hospital.”

The MP said the X-ray machine and the scanner are said to be broken down most of the times.

“So, if ever anyone is lucky at that time to be attended to, when they get to the other end where the doctor is looking at the X-ray picture, the patient is told the X-ray is not clear because the X-ray machine is faulty,” Sithole added.

“So they are referred to facilities outside or private operators where they have to do another X-ray.

“On the scanning machine, pregnant mothers who have to do a scan are told that there is no jelly but surprisingly, again, the officer operating the scan will be having their private jelly.

“They only attend to their private patients from their private practice, but who come and use the hospital scan with the jelly.”

“Anyone referred by Mpilo is told that there is no jelly, yet those coming from outside who will be their private patients will be attended to.”

The legislator said patients are also denied the opportunity to buy medication from the dispensary as they would be told that medicines are out of stock.

He said when patients pay directly to nurses in the wards, the medication suddenly becomes available.

“So, these are some of the examples that are happening at Mpilo Hospital,” Sithole added.

“Therefore, I would request that the Ministry of Health and Child Care carries out an investigation and bring a ministerial statement to this House.”

National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda said Sithole had raised “a fundamental and profound observation.”

Mudenda related an incident where one of his relatives’ son with a broken arm went for six months without being operated on at Harare’s Parirenyatwa Hospital until he intervened.

He said Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who doubles as Health and Child Care minister, would be asked to table a ministerial statement in the National Assembly to explain what was being done to curb corruption in public hospitals.

National

EcoCash launches all-in-one super app

Published

9 hours ago

April 23, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Leading fintech platform EcoCash has launched an all-in-one “super app” integrating payments, chat and lifestyle services into a single platform, in a push to deepen digital financial inclusion.

Developed by Sasai Fintech, a unit of Cassava Technologies, the app signals EcoCash’s shift towards a fully integrated digital and social ecosystem that goes beyond traditional payments.

In a statement, EcoCash said the platform responds to growing demand for seamless, mobile-first solutions that combine communication and transactions.

“With mobile devices now central to how people live, work and transact, we have reimagined the EcoCash app to deliver a secure, convenient and integrated digital experience,” the company said.

A key feature is social payments, allowing users to send and receive money within chat conversations without switching apps. The platform also includes automated bill-splitting, enabling users to divide shared costs in real time.

The app integrates merchant payments, bill settlements, and airtime and data purchases into a single interface, aiming to reduce transaction time and data costs.

EcoCash said the platform also supports content monetisation, allowing users to create and earn income directly, targeting Zimbabwe’s growing community of digital creators and small businesses.

The company said the super app forms part of a broader innovation pipeline that will include stablecoin-based remittances and other digital financial services, supported by investments in artificial intelligence.

Sasai Fintech recently partnered with Circle, an internet financial platform company, to advance stablecoin adoption in Africa.

National

Zimbabwe approves US$92 million Victoria Falls infrastructure deal

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The government has greenlit a major public-private partnership (PPP) to develop critical bulk infrastructure within the Masuwe Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), a move aimed at transforming Victoria Falls into a premier international hub for finance and tourism.

The project, approved during the Tuesday cabinet meeting, establishes a commercial joint venture (CJV) between the state-owned Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company (MTDC) and the JR Goddard (JRG) Consortium.

According to the government briefing, the MSEZ is a “flagship national development project” established to “transform Victoria Falls into a diversified, high-value hub integrating tourism, financial services and sustainable real estate”.

Under the terms of the agreement, the JRG Consortium—which includes JR Goddard Pvt Ltd, Sesani Pvt Ltd, Stewart Scott Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd, and GGF Africa Pvt Ltd—will provide funding of US25.6 million.

This arrangement results in a shareholding structure of 39% for MTDC and 61% for the JR Goddard Consortium.

The infrastructure roadmap for the 1 200-hectare site is extensive. Planned works include the surfacing of 8 km of internal roads, the upgrading of 9 km of existing gravel roads, and the construction of a 13 km water pipeline designed to serve both the economic zone and neighbouring communities.

Additional developments will feature a package water treatment plant, a sewerage reticulation system, a power sub-station, and effluent re-use storage ponds.

Cabinet said the project was subjected to a “rigorous evaluation” in compliance with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) Act.

Officials believe the partnership will “catalyse high-value investment” and provide a “sustainable fiscal contribution to gross domestic product (GDP)” while creating downstream jobs.

The government said the project is expected to “catapult the transformation of Victoria Falls into a modern and vibrant economic development city, fulfilling the attainment of Vision 2030”.

The joint venture includes a 25-year structured profit recoup period and will be overseen by a board chaired by the MTDC to ensure alignment with the country’s National Development Strategy 2.

Located within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TfCA), the Masuwedevelopment is seen as a strategic pivot for Zimbabwe to diversify its tourism-dependent economy into a more robust financial services and real estate centre.

National

Zambia, Zimbabwe to ban heavy trucks from Victoria Falls Bridge

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY DUMANI MOYO

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that Zambia and Zimbabwe will restrict heavy trucks and trains from using the century-old Victoria Falls Bridge.

Speaking at an engineering conference in Livingstone, he said the two countries will instead build a new bridge and railway crossing to handle modern freight demands.

Hichilema made it clear that the 121-year-old structure can no longer safely or efficiently carry today’s heavy-duty traffic.

Engineers designed the bridge in the early 1900s for much lighter loads, not for fully laden 60-tonne mining trucks or long freight trains that now dominate regional trade routes.

Engineers completed the Victoria Falls Bridge in 1905 as a narrow arch crossing linking road, rail and pedestrian traffic.

While it remains an iconic piece of infrastructure, its design limits its ability to support modern logistics.

Authorities have already imposed restrictions over the years.

Trains often move at very low speeds, while trucks have faced weight limits that forced heavier vehicles to reroute through other crossings.

Although rehabilitation work in 2006 extended the bridge’s lifespan, it did not solve the fundamental structural limitations.

Experts now agree that upgrading the bridge to meet current freight standards would cost nearly as much as building a new one.

WHY A NEW CROSSING MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE

Officials from both countries now favour constructing a new dual-purpose rail and road bridge instead of attempting further upgrades.

A purpose-built crossing would accommodate higher traffic volumes and modern freight loads without compromising safety.

A new structure would also eliminate a major bottleneck along the North-South Corridor, which links the copper belts of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to southern markets such as South Africa.

By separating heavy commercial traffic from tourism and local travel, the new bridge would allow the Victoria Falls Bridge to serve lighter vehicles, pedestrians and tourists, preserving its heritage value.

REGIONAL TRADE AND RAIL INTEGRATION BOOST

The proposed crossing would complement major regional projects, including the Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone Railway.

A dual-track rail bridge would strengthen links between Zambia and Zimbabwe while supporting long-term plans to expand rail connectivity across Southern Africa.

It would also mirror the successful model of the Kazungula Bridge, which has significantly increased traffic flow since opening in 2021.

FINANCING AND NEXT STEPS

Despite strong political backing, key questions remain around funding, construction timelines and project ownership.

Zimbabwe’s debt constraints could complicate financing, although improved economic reforms may unlock support from international lenders.

If both governments secure funding and move quickly, the new bridge could become one of the most important infrastructure developments in the Southern African Development Community in recent years.

This could transform trade flows and ease congestion along a critical regional corridor.

SOURCE: THE SOUTH AFRICAN