Mawarire
is
a
former
spokesperson
for
the
National
Patriotic
Front
(NPF)
and
a
former
close
associate
of
the
late
former
President
Robert
Mugabe.
President
Mnangagwa
had
said
on
X
(formerly
Twitter)
that
his
hospital
visits
were
aimed
at
gaining
a
clearer
understanding
of
the
current
state
of
public
health
services.
However,
Mawarire
scoffed
at
the
explanation,
alleging
the
tour
was
designed
to
“justify,
as
usual,
the
monetisation
of
our
problems.”
Mawarire
linked
the
visit
to
a
US$437,282,400.00
contract
for
cancer
treatment
equipment.
He
claims
this
deal
was
signed
between
the
Office
of
the
President
and
Cabinet
(OPC)
and
TTM
Global
Medical
Exports
(PTY)
Limited,
a
South
African
company
reportedly
linked
Wicknell
Chivayo,
without
going
to
tender.
Wrote
Mawarire:
We
know
you
have
already,
through
your
office,
signed
a
$439m
dollar
contract
with
a
South
African
company,
TTM
Global
Medical
Exports
without
going
to
tender.
He
further
alleged
an
abuse
of
the
recently
introduced
“sugar
tax”
being
collected
by
the
government.
Mawarire
pointed
fingers
at
Chivayo,
referring
to
him
as
Mnangagwa’s
“obese
proxy,”
and
claiming
Chivayo
originated
a
“silly
‘presidential
scheme
for
the
provision
of
cancer
treatment
equipment’
proposal”
that
the
OPC
subsequently
approved.
Commenting
on
the
procurement
contract,
Mawarire
labelled
the
entire
arrangement
a
“scam.”
Mawarire
criticised
the
timing
of
President
Mnangagwa’s
hospital
tour,
coming
two
months
after
the
contract
was
allegedly
signed.
He
called
it
a
“poor
retrospective
gimmick
meant
to
sanitise
the
more
than
$400m
heist
that
Rushwaya
&
ED
pulled
with
the
TTM
Global
scandal.”
He
also
singled
out
Martin
Rushwaya,
who
accompanied
President
Mnangagwa
on
the
tour,
as
“the
most
scandalous
&
corrupt
govt
official
that
Zimbabwe
has
ever
had
since
1980.”