Mnangagwa Turns Down US Health Aid
By A Correspondent-President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has directed the government to discontinue negotiations with the United States over a proposed health support agreement, describing the deal as lop-sided and a threat to Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.
In a letter dated 23 December 2025, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador A.R. Chimbindi, advised the Secretary for Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Mr G.T. Guvamatanga, and the Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr A. Maunganidze, that the President had ordered an end to discussions on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Zimbabwe and the USA under the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS).
The correspondence states that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade had taken note of ongoing engagements between the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, and the Embassy of the United States in Zimbabwe regarding the MoU.
According to the letter, the United States was promoting the agreement as the future framework through which Washington would provide health support to Zimbabwe under certain terms and conditions.
However, Ambassador Chimbindi wrote that President Mnangagwa had “directed that Zimbabwe must discontinue any negotiation with the USA on the clearly lop-sided MoU that blatantly compromises and undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe as a country.”
The letter was copied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. Prof. Dr A. Murwira, and the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr M. Rushwaya.
An official stamp shows the correspondence was received on 24 December 2025 by the Office of the Secretary for Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
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