Student nurses’ recruitment under spotlight as ZACC investigations exposes nepotism and bribes 

FOR many young Zimbabweans, nursing represents more than a career as it is a pathway to dignity, stable income and the chance to serve communities in need.

But for a growing number of aspiring nurses, that dream has been tarnished by a cruel twist of corruption, greed, and systems that institutionalise bribery.

A sweeping investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has exposed a deeply troubling network of bribes and nepotism at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, casting a harsh spotlight on the rot at the core of nurse recruitment in Zimbabwe.

At the centre of the storm is a senior tutor, one Mushongahande, who was recently arrested after allegedly demanding more than US$1 500 from an aspiring nursing student, promising her a spot at the hospital’s nursing school, a vacancy that never materialised.

According to ZACC, when investigators confiscated Mushongahande’s phone, they found a trove of damning evidence, conversations with applicants, evidence of illicit payments, and coordination with other staff members.

Mushongahande spent two nights in detention before being granted bail, but not before implicating other staff, including medical superintendent, Dr Collet Mawire, prompting further seizures of phones and documents as the investigation broadened.

One ZACC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the ongoing investigations.

“Some of the staff’s cellphones were seized recently. Upon search, they show they were sending interview questions to some applicants. This shows clear favouritism and prejudice against others,” said the source.

According to multiple aspiring nurses interviewed by Zimpapers, the bribe amounts typically ranged from US$1 200 to US$1 500, sums far beyond the reach of many hopeful youths, yet frighteningly common for those desperate to secure a place.

The implications of the scandal go far beyond Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital or a handful of corrupt tutors there, but throughout other schools across the country.

The corrupt practices uncovered at Chinhoyi suggest a rigged system, one where interviews, shortlisting, and admission are dictated not by merit or need, but by who can pay the most.

But Dr Mawire insisted that the process to select aspiring nurses was rigorous and does not have any loopholes for corruption and bribery to take place.

“There are no cases of bribery involving our staff because the selection committee is made up of senior staff who are of the highest professional integrity. If, indeed, money is exchanging hands, it could be happening, but it might be outsiders masquerading as hospital authorities. This has to be investigated, and culprits brought to book,” Dr Mawire said.

Applicants who could not afford the illicit fees were automatically disadvantaged. Others were given an unfair advantage, with interview questions leaked before the official sessions, robbing the process of fairness and impugning the legitimacy of even those admitted.

“I am 100 percent sure that I nailed both the written and oral interviews, but no communication came my way regarding my performance. I realised that selection had been completed and that I had not been considered after hearing of the school having opened,” said one aspiring candidate from Mhangura, who had not paid the alleged bribe money.

For a profession as vital as nursing, which demands competence, compassion, and trust, the unlucky candidates said, such corruption is more than an ethical breach. They said it was a threat to the very future of healthcare delivery in the country.

The scandal rekindled calls from civic leaders, healthcare advocates, and community members for urgent systemic reforms, not only to punish individuals involved, but to overhaul the entire recruitment framework.

In his most recent nationwide address marking International Anti‑Corruption Day, President Mnangagwa issued a renewed call to end graft across all sectors, underscoring that under the Second Republic, corruption will not be tolerated.

Highlighting tangible results since the launch of the country’s first National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) in July 2020, he noted that nearly 2 500 corruption cases have been investigated, more than 800 dockets referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and a 60 percent conviction rate recorded on completed cases, with assets worth more than US$20 million recovered.

“The Second Republic, under my leadership, remains informed by our shared development aspirations, which are firmly anchored on the unequivocal principles of good governance, institutional integrity and a zero-tolerance stance on corruption,” President Mnangagwa said.

He also announced the introduction of Fast-Track Courts to expedite corruption and economic crime cases, a measure meant to tackle delays that have long stifled justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

Many, however, argued that the root problem at nursing schools was structural as Zimbabwe has too few nursing schools for the demand, fuelling scarcity, which breeds desperation that corrupt officials exploit.

In response, the Government has drawn up plans to open additional nursing training institutions in Mashonaland West Province.

Among the proposed sites are a school at the Cotton Research Centre in Kadoma and a training institution at Mhangura Hospital.

Another facility is expected to open doors at Muduvuri Pan African Hospital in Kadoma, with the institution’s owner, Mr Jimaya Muduvuri, confirming that all was in place to open the school in 2026.

Various stakeholders believe that expanding access to nurse training could alleviate pressure, reduce incentive for bribery, and promote transparent, merit-based recruitment.

They argue that with more slots available, the desperation that fuels corrupt demand will fade, and with it, the pay-to-play racket.

Sanyati legislator, who is also Mines and Mining Development Minister, Dr Polite Kambamura, has, in response to the growing concerns, mulled plans to fund the construction of more blocks at Sanyati Hospital Nursing School.

His response also dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s call for Zimbabweans to play their part in nation-building.

“I have noticed that a lot of aspiring students do not get the chance to be enrolled because Sanyati Hospital Nursing School only takes a certain number of candidates due to its holding capacity. I have seen it fit to partner with the school. I shall provide building materials for extra learning blocks and accommodation facilities so that the school increases its enrolment,” he said.

The arrest of Mushongahande and the wider ZACC probe at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital may represent the first layer peeled back on a rotten system.

Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations of Residents Trusts (ZNOART) Mashonaland West chairman, Mr Liberty Chitiya, said a full forensic review of recruitment processes across all public nursing schools was urgently needed to root out further corruption.

“Transparent, merit-based admission procedures must be enforced, ideally with digital record-keeping, anonymised interviews, and impartial oversight to prevent abuse. The selection of the nurses has a bearing on our lives as residents, as they will be practising on us.

“We want competent people who will not put our lives at risk,” he noted.

Residents also implored for the acceleration of the expansion of training capacity through the proposed new schools at Kadoma, Muduvuri, Mhangura, and other regions, to reduce demand that fuels corrupt practices.

They want swift and visible prosecution of all implicated staff, including senior tutors and administrators to demonstrate that under the new anti-corruption regime, no sacred cows truly means no sacred cows.