Wicknell Chivayo’s Company Bags US$439M Cancer Deal Without Tender
Wicknell Chivayo’s TTM Global Medical awarded US$439m (R7.9 billion) contract for cancer treatment machines
A company linked to controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has landed a massive US$439 million (R7.9 billion) contract under a government initiative to provide cancer treatment equipment to local hospitals — sparking a storm of questions from politicians, activists and ordinary citizens.
Chivayo-linked company gets multi-million-dollar cancer contract
The company, TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd, is registered in South Africa and was incorporated in November 2024. Despite being less than a year old, it was reportedly handpicked for the lucrative four-year deal without an open public tender.
Critics say the contract, dubbed a “Presidential Scheme for the Provision of Cancer Treatment Equipment,” was signed by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya, and TTM Global in March 2025. The deal is worth US$109 million (R1.97 billion) per year over four years, totalling US$437 million (R7.89 billion).
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Advocate Fadzayi Mahere raised a series of pointed questions to Wicknell Chivayo directly:
“On what date did your South African company, TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd tender for the supply of cancer treatment equipment?” she asked.
“Can you explain why the value of the contract is half a billion US dollars? Why is the physical address of your company a hotel? Does your company manufacture cancer treatment equipment at Da Vinci Hotel and Suites?”
Social media has erupted with commentary over the deal. Commentator and journalist Jealousy Mawarire posted:
“This is all a scam. Already, a contract to supply cancer treatment machines by a Dumbuzenene (Wicknell Chivayo)-linked South African company (TTM Global Medical Exports) has been signed… without going to tender.”
“The fact that ED is touring hospitals two months after the contract was entered… is a poor window dressing gimmick by lunatics who think all Zimbabweans are fools.”
Others say the timing of President Mnangagwa’s tour of hospitals just after the deal was concluded raises suspicions of retrospective justification.
IMC Communications now building roads
Separately, another Chivayo-linked company, IMC Communications, has made headlines after shifting from telecommunications to road construction. The company was previously known for attempting to bring Starlink to Zimbabwe and holding an ISP licence from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz).
However, the Starlink deal collapsed when Potraz clarified that no exclusive reseller agreements had been granted.
Now, IMC Communications appears to have pivoted into infrastructure. Videos circulating online show road construction sites with IMC Communications-branded dump trucks, pavers, rollers, and workers in matching gear.
Many Zimbabweans are baffled. Social media users asked how a telecommunications firm, registered only months ago, suddenly secured contracts in civil engineering.
“Company yanezuro uno iyi,” wrote one X user.
“How does a communications company get a tender for road construction?” asked another.
While the government has yet to release details of the contracts, the video evidence has intensified suspicions that tenders are being awarded without transparency or public scrutiny.
IMC Communications, believed to be registered in Zimbabwe as a private limited company, was initially focused on fibre-optic installations and mobile network development. Its director, Wicknell Chivayo, has publicly claimed to have partnered with various international tech firms — though few of those partnerships have been confirmed.
Chivayo was also previously involved in the failed Gwanda solar power project, for which millions were paid upfront without meaningful progress.
Explosive FIC report links Chivayo to suspicious fund transfers
Chivayo’s dealings are also under scrutiny in South Africa, where the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) revealed that over R800 million from the Zimbabwean treasury was transferred to companies linked to him, following payments to Ren-Form CC — a firm contracted to supply materials for Zimbabwe’s 2023 general elections.
According to ZimLive, the FIC flagged multiple bank accounts belonging to Chivayo’s firms, including Intratrek Holdings and Dolintel Trading, for large and unexplained transfers. The funds were allegedly moved rapidly, some into personal accounts used for luxury vehicle purchases.
The report also notes that Ren-Form overcharged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) by millions, allegedly to allow for “commission” payouts to Chivayo and associates. For example, Ren-Form charged R23 million for a server costing R90,000 and R68,700 each for non-flushing toilets that retail for R10,000.
Chivayo has denied wrongdoing and maintains that any suggestion of corruption is “misplaced and malicious.”
“We need new leaders,” says Mahere
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting for transparency and accountability. Advocate Mahere summed up public sentiment in a single line:
“We need new leaders.”
Despite these growing concerns, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has not made any public statements about launching an investigation into the US$439 million cancer treatment contract.
As the backlash grows, Zimbabweans are left wondering: how many more public contracts will quietly vanish into thin air?
