Concerns over alleged corruption and lack of transparency in Zimbabwe’s decentralised nursing recruitment system have intensified in Matabeleland, with community leaders and legislators warning that deserving youths are being sidelined despite meeting entry requirements.
The concerns follow a press statement by Nkayi South Member of Parliament, Jabulani Hadebe, who accused some officials within the health sector of exploiting desperate and unemployed youths through bribery, favouritism and manipulation of entrance examinations.
While the decentralised system was introduced to ensure local communities benefit from recruiting their own into the health sector, Hadebe warned that loopholes were now being abused, particularly in rural provinces such as Matabeleland.
“We have young people with very good passes — four As and above — from very poor backgrounds who applied for nursing and were never called for interviews,” Hadebe said.
“Those who attended interviews were never informed of their results,”
He added that although decentralisation was a progressive policy, corruption risks remained high without strong safeguards, calling for the deployment of anti-corruption agencies during recruitment exercises.
Social commentator and Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director, Michael Mdladla Ndiweni, said challenges for Matabeleland youths worsened following the shift away from the online application system.
Ndiweni said they previously assisted young people, particularly from rural areas, to apply online due to limited internet access.
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“Through volunteers, we helped young people apply online and managed to secure training places for around 500 youths, some of whom are now practising nurses,” he said.
However, Ndiweni noted that after the introduction of decentralised recruitment, they stopped assisting, believing applicants could now access training institutions directly.
“We still hear complaints from young people who apply but do not get places," he said.
"There are allegations of bribery and favouritism.
"While we do not have concrete evidence, these views are based on a noticeable decline in the number of successful applicants from Matabeleland."
Ndiweni said the decentralised system placed too much power in the hands of individuals at local institutions, making the process vulnerable to manipulation.
“For decentralisation to work, it requires ethical officials. Right now, people only see lists of selected names without knowing how the adjudication process was conducted,” he said.
He proposed that the assessment and selection process be open to public observation to enhance transparency.
Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator Decent Bajila echoed similar concerns, saying the success rate of Matabeleland youths declined significantly following the closure of the online sys
“Rumours of bribery remain widespread, and the omnibus application system makes the situation worse," Bajila said.
"Both shortlisting and admission stages are prone to money exchanging hands."
He called for the reintroduction of online applications alongside physical submissions, arguing that digital platforms should be auditable and insulated from human interference.
“Shortlisting must be done using artificial intelligence tools to eliminate manipulation,” he said.
Hadebe called for nursing schools to only receive applications, while supervision and marking of entrance examinations be conducted by external health personnel randomly assigned shortly before exams.
He also advocated for the immediate release of examination results to reduce anxiety, manipulation and mistrust among applicants.
“Matabeleland, being largely rural, faces challenges such as limited access to information and networks, which corrupt officials exploit. External marking and immediate result release are practical solutions,” Hadebe said.
He urged the Ministry of Health and Child Care to urgently review recruitment procedures and strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms.
“To the youths of Matabeleland, do not lose hope. Keep striving and report corruption so that together we can fight for a fair and transparent system,” Hadebe added.
