REVEALED: The secret reason why Mnangagwa’s government REJECTED US$367 million in US health aid, and what they want

HARARE — In a move that has left many international observers baffled and local health advocates in despair, the Zimbabwean government recently slammed the door on a massive US$367 million health funding package from the United States. While the official narrative from the Ministry of Information focuses on “national sovereignty” and “interference,” our investigation uncovers a much more specific and controversial friction point that the authorities have been desperate to keep under wraps.

The real “deal-breaker” was a new, non-negotiable demand by US health agencies for direct, real-time access to Zimbabwe’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, known locally as Impilo. This database is the crown jewel of the nation’s health data, containing the sensitive personal records of millions of citizens, including HIV/AIDS status, vaccination history, and even genetic data collected during recent public health drives.

From a documentary perspective, we simplify the complex diplomatic standoff. We reveal how Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) flagged this demand as a “trojan horse” for intelligence overreach. The fear in the corridors of power is that such access would allow foreign agencies to profile the health and private lives of the nation’s top leadership, many of whom seek treatment within the same system.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was being promoted by Washington as the future framework for US health support to Zimbabwe under its America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS). But Harare found its conditions unacceptable on multiple fronts. Albert Chimbindi, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, communicated the directive to the secretaries of finance and health in a letter dated December 23, 2025.

“The President has directed that Zimbabwe must discontinue any negotiation with the USA on the clearly lopsided MoU that blatantly compromises and undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe as a country,” the letter reads.

Furthermore, there is a brewing conspiracy theory involving “minerals-for-medicine.” Sources suggest that the US aid was subtly tied to a Memorandum of Understanding that would have granted American companies “preferential observation rights” over Zimbabwe’s vast lithium and rare-earth mineral deposits—resources the US is currently desperate to secure for its green energy transition. Zimbabwe holds some of the world’s largest hard-rock lithium reserves, with major mines like Bikita Minerals, Sandawana, and Sabi Star already drawing significant international attention, primarily from Chinese firms like Sinomine Resource Group.

The US separately pushed for access to the country’s critical mineral resources as part of the broader arrangement. This “hidden clause” has sparked outrage within the Zimbabwean cabinet, with some officials viewing it as an attempt to trade the health of the poor for the wealth of the subsoil. One unnamed source in the Ministry of Mines stated: “They wanted a back door into our lithium strategy. They know the future is green, and they want to make sure they aren’t left behind by the Chinese, even if it means using ARVs as leverage.”

This article will break down the human cost of this “principle.” With the Global Fund and other donors already stretched thin, the rejection of this US$367 million leaves a gaping hole in the procurement of antiretroviral drugs and malaria prevention kits. We simplify the economics of this decision, asking if the government is prepared for the potential healthcare collapse that could follow. Is this a brave stand against neo-colonialism, or is it a paranoid elite protecting their own secrets at the expense of the dying?

The US is already winding down its health programmes in Zimbabwe. A year after the Trump administration began dismantling USAID, which had funded programmes in Zimbabwe including the provision of HIV medicines, Washington is now initiating a new round of significant cuts. An internal State Department email, recently leaked, noted that the US will soon end all humanitarian funding currently provided to seven African nations, including Zimbabwe, as part of a “responsible exit.”

The email, dated February 12, 2026, sent to officials in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, stated that the projects are being cancelled because “there is no strong nexus between the humanitarian response and US national interests.” This cold calculation has left millions of Zimbabweans who rely on US-funded clinics in a state of terror.

Zimbabwe also objected on principle. Harare argued that signing a bilateral health agreement with Washington would be inconsistent with its commitment to multilateralism, particularly given that the United States had withdrawn from the World Health Organisation (WHO) under the current US administration. Entering into a parallel bilateral health architecture, the government reasoned, would effectively legitimise Washington’s exit from the global health order.

“Why should we sign a separate deal with a country that has turned its back on the WHO?” asked one senior diplomat. “It’s a lopsided arrangement that forces us to choose between our health and our dignity.”

Despite Zimbabwe’s resistance, Washington’s health diplomacy offensive is gaining traction elsewhere on the continent. At least 14 African countries have already signed similar agreements under the AFGHS framework, trading data access for funding. This has left Zimbabwe increasingly isolated in its stance, even as its own healthcare system teeters on the brink.

The Impilo EHR system, launched in 2016, was designed to streamline patient care and improve health outcomes. However, the prospect of this data falling into the hands of foreign intelligence agencies has turned a tool of progress into a flashpoint of paranoia. The CIO’s report specifically mentioned that the US demand for “real-time access” would bypass all national data protection protocols, allowing for the “profiling of the national character and leadership.”

As the standoff continues, the real victims are the ordinary citizens. In clinics across Harare and Bulawayo, the stocks of essential medicines are dwindling. The rejection of the US$367 million package means that thousands of patients may soon find themselves without the drugs they need to survive.

Is this the price of sovereignty? Or is it a calculated gamble by an elite that values its secrets more than the lives of its people? We provide a step-by-step analysis of the “hidden clauses” in the US proposal that triggered the President’s “no,” giving your readers the inside track on a story that other outlets have only scratched the surface of.

The government’s refusal to compromise on the EHR access has been described by some as a “suicide mission” for the public health sector. “We are talking about lives,” said a doctor at a major referral hospital who requested anonymity. “If the ARVs run out, we are looking at a catastrophe. You cannot eat sovereignty, and you certainly cannot treat HIV with it.”

Yet, for the Mnangagwa administration, the risk of foreign interference outweighs the immediate humanitarian need. The “minerals-for-medicine” angle only adds to the suspicion. With the US desperate to secure lithium for its electric vehicle industry, the timing of the health aid proposal seems more than coincidental.

In the end, the secret reason for the rejection is a toxic mix of data paranoia and resource nationalism. The US$367 million was not just a gift; it was a transaction. And for Zimbabwe, the price was simply too high.

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