Imagine This: Zimbabwe’s Hospitals Held Hostage by Fraudulent Nurses
Imagine walking into a hospital with a loved one fighting for their life — only to discover that the person injecting medication, taking vitals, or assisting in surgery never passed a single legitimate exam.
Now picture that scene not as fiction, but as a spreading reality.
Across Zimbabwe, a silent invasion is unfolding — not with guns, but with forged papers and stolen trust. Fake nurses, armed with counterfeit certificates and unchecked ambition, are slipping through the cracks of a broken vetting system and taking over wards, clinics, and surgical units.
This is no longer a question of isolated fraud. It is a national health crisis in slow motion — and the consequences could be deadly.
Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe – 12 June 2025
In a shocking revelation that has raised serious questions about vetting procedures in public institutions, two student nurses at Chitungwiza Central Hospital have been exposed for using fake Ordinary Level certificates to enrol in the government nursing program.
Paidamoyo Samantha Muchira and Makanaka Chatikobo successfully gained admission into the nursing school and attended classes for an entire year before the fraud was uncovered through routine verification checks with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC).
Police confirmed they are now on the hunt for the two women, who have since disappeared.
“Police are investigating a fraud case involving student nurses at a hospital. The total value defrauded is yet to be supplied. The accused persons were not arrested,” said Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza.
The exposure has sent shockwaves through both the health sector and the public service, as concerns mount over how the fake documents were able to pass through official channels undetected for such an extended period.
Chitungwiza Hospital’s Public Relations Manager, Audrey Tasaranarwo, confirmed the incident and said the authenticity of the documents initially fooled the institution.
“We had two students who supplied fake certificates. The hospital discovered the fraudulent act after verifying the certificates with ZIMSEC,” she said. “The certificates looked very genuine — that means those behind the printing must also be brought to book.”
Sources within the hospital say the case has prompted an internal review of all student files submitted in recent intakes, as authorities suspect this may not be an isolated incident.
The incident has also triggered debate over the government’s verification mechanisms in the enrolment of students into critical sectors such as healthcare.
Authorities are appealing to the public for any information that may lead to the arrest of Paidamoyo Muchira and Makanaka Chatikobo. The case has been classified as fraud, though the total prejudice to the state — including allowances, accommodation, and training costs — is still being calculated.
This is a developing story.