Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
VILLAGERS in Zvimba are set to benefit from improved access to primary healthcare following the completion of a modern clinic in the rural home area of the late former President Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Only minor finishing touches remain before the 16-room Robert Mugabe Clinic is officially commissioned.
The facility is expected to bring relief to residents who have faced challenges in accessing medical services by bringing essential healthcare closer to their homes and easing pressure on existing health institutions in the district.
Mrs Chiedza Mhlanga-Muchakachi, who was employed during the construction of the clinic, said the facility would make a significant difference to families in the community.
“We are happy that this clinic is being built close to our homes. It will reduce the distance we travel to access medical services and ease pressure on Murombedzi Hospital and other nearby health facilities,” she said.
Beyond improving access to healthcare, the project has also created employment opportunities for local men, women and youths who participated in various construction activities.
Another resident, Ms Moreblessing Mhizha, said the development had already benefited the community through job creation while laying the foundation for better healthcare services for future generations.
“Many local people have found employment through this project while, at the same time, we are building a facility that will benefit future generations,” she said.
Once operational, the clinic will provide outpatient services, maternal and child healthcare, consultations, pharmaceutical services and observation facilities, alongside administrative offices.
Kadoma-based businessman, philanthropist, and Zanu PF National Consultative Assembly member, Cde Jimayi Muduvuri, is undertaking the project as part of a Pan-African healthcare initiative aimed at bringing medical services closer to underserved communities.
Speaking to Zimpapers on Tuesday, Cde Muduvuri said construction had been completed, with a few minor finishing touches remaining before the facility’s official opening.
“Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe dedicated his life to the liberation and development of Zimbabwe. Building this clinic in his home area is our way of ensuring that his legacy continues to positively impact communities through improved healthcare,” he said.
He said nurses and supporting staff would be recruited before commissioning to ensure that the facility was ready to deliver services when it opened.
The clinic is among the developmental legacy projects being undertaken in Mashonaland West, the host province of the 23rd Zanu PF National People’s Conference.
Cde Muduvuri said his investment in healthcare was inspired by President Mnangagwa’s vision of leaving no one and no place behind, with private sector initiatives complementing Government efforts to expand access to essential services.
“As Jimayi Muduvuri, I have chosen to concentrate on health because a healthy nation is a productive nation. We are supporting Government programmes by taking quality healthcare closer to the people,” he said.
He added that his medical institutions would continue to provide war veterans with free treatment in recognition of their contribution to the country’s liberation.
“This is our way of saying thank you to the men and women who fought for Zimbabwe’s independence. We can never repay their sacrifices, but we can honour them by protecting their dignity through access to quality healthcare,” he said.
Reflecting on his personal journey, Cde Muduvuri expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for facilitating life-saving medical treatment when he fell critically ill in 2005.
He called on Zimbabweans to embrace unity, dialogue and nation-building, saying national development required collective effort.
Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman Cde Mary Mliswa-Chikoka commended Cde Muduvuri for translating liberation history into tangible community development.
“This is a commendable gesture that honours the legacy of our founding leader, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in a practical and meaningful way. Instead of merely talking about our liberation heroes, Cde Muduvuri is ensuring that communities continue benefiting from their legacy through improved access to healthcare,” she said.
She encouraged businesspeople to support similar initiatives that complement Government development programmes.
Zvimba Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Enias Chidakwa said the clinic complemented Government and council efforts to expand healthcare infrastructure in the district.
The Robert Mugabe Clinic will join a growing network of medical institutions established by Cde Muduvuri and named after liberation icons, including Father Zimbabwe Dr Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda, Chief Rekai Tangwena and Herbert Chitepo.
In 2023, President Mnangagwa commissioned the Jimayi Muduvuri Pan-African Referral Hospital in Kadoma.
The institution has since been licensed to train Registered General Nurses, with its inaugural intake expected to commence soon.
