Current Affairs
Mpilo Hospital Under Fire After DNA Tests Reveal Babies Swapped at Birth
Bulawayo — Two Zimbabwean families have been left devastated after discovering that their daughters, now 18 years old, were accidentally swapped at birth at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on May 13, 2007.
The shocking discovery emerged when the father of one of the girls began to question why his youngest child bore no resemblance to her siblings. Acting on his doubts, he secretly ordered a DNA test, which confirmed that he was not the biological father of the girl he had raised for nearly two decades.
According to relatives, the revelation initially tore the family apart, as the man accused his wife of infidelity. However, the mother adamant that she had remained faithful began her own investigation, returning to Mpilo Hospital to review birth records from that day.
Hospital files revealed that only two girls had been born on that date, leading her to identify the other mother involved. In 2023, after locating the woman on social media, the two families met and agreed to conduct DNA testing. The results confirmed their worst fears their babies had been swapped at birth.
Sources close to the case say Mpilo Hospital acknowledged the mix-up, attributing it to the chaotic conditions of 2007, when Zimbabwe was in the throes of an economic meltdown that left health institutions understaffed and poorly equipped.
“They admitted the baby tags might have fallen off and been reattached incorrectly,” one family member revealed. “The hospital said systems were weak at the time due to the national crisis.”
Mpilo’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narcisius Dzvanga, said the hospital was still preparing a formal response to media inquiries. Families, however, claim that little has been done to provide psychological support or counselling.
“They should have assigned psychologists to help us cope,” said a relative. “Instead, we’ve been left to handle the trauma on our own.”
The situation has been especially complex for the two girls, who were raised in different provinces one in Bulawayo, the other in Shurugwi. The Shurugwi girl’s father tragically passed away before learning the truth.
The two families have agreed to allow the girls to spend time together to bond and adjust, though language and cultural differences one family is Shona-speaking and the other Ndebele have made the process challenging. Legal action against the hospital is reportedly being considered.
This is not the first baby mix-up to rock Bulawayo’s public hospitals. Earlier this year, a similar case at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) made headlines after a mother who had delivered a boy was handed a girl following a Caesarean section. Her persistence led to DNA testing that proved the infants had indeed been exchanged.
The latest revelation adds to Mpilo Hospital’s growing list of controversies. The institution has recently faced recruitment scandals, including the admission of nursing students with forged O’ Level certificates and the shocking case of a fake doctor, Taurayi Prosper Vanhuvaone, who posed as a medical practitioner and defrauded patients before being arrested.
The combination of administrative lapses and fraud has raised alarm over patient safety and institutional accountability at one of Zimbabwe’s largest referral hospitals, which serves Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, and Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe is experiencing intensified power outages following the shutdown of Unit 6 at the Hwange Power Station due to a system failure. The development threatens to plunge large parts of the country into darkness.
Unit 6, one of the original thermal generation units commissioned in the 1980s, has an installed capacity of 220 megawatts (MW). Its sudden breakdown has worsened the country’s already fragile electricity supply, which continues to be hampered by persistent load-shedding and ageing infrastructure.
“Hwange Unit 6 has been taken off the grid due to a system failure. The unit will be out of operation for a period of three days and is expected to return to service on October 10,” ZESA said.
During this period, Hwange Power Station will continue to operate with three units in service. ZPC acknowledged the inconvenience caused and expressed appreciation for the public’s patience as efforts are made to restore full generation capacity.
First Lady and Health and Child Care Ambassador, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, has extended her blanket donation initiative to health facilities run by the country’s uniformed forces, ensuring that patients under their care also benefit from her ongoing national hospital support programme.
Representatives from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) received their consignments at Zimbabwe House this week. The donation guarantees that every bed in the health facilities run by the three security institutions will be furnished with two blankets.
Amai Mnangagwa said the gesture was part of her continued efforts to promote patient comfort and improve health service delivery across the country.
“Every patient deserves warmth and comfort. Through this initiative, we are reaffirming our collective commitment to the wellbeing of all Zimbabweans,” she said.
The First Lady’s blanket donation programme has already reached referral hospitals across the country. Institutions such as Victoria Chitepo, Gweru, Chinhoyi, Bindura, Marondera, and Kwekwe General Hospitals have collected their allocations from the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) in Harare.
To ease transportation logistics, hospitals in the southern region covering Bulawayo and the Matabeleland provinces are collecting their consignments from NatPharm’s Bulawayo branch.
The initiative is part of Amai Mnangagwa’s broader campaign to enhance healthcare delivery through material support, especially for patients admitted in public institutions.
Her efforts continue to complement government programmes aimed at improving standards in the health sector and ensuring dignified care for all citizens.
Nkulumane Member of Parliament, Honourable Desire Moyo, has tragically died following a road accident that occurred in the early hours of Friday morning.
Confirming the incident, Emakhandeni–Luveve legislator Discent Collins Bajila said the accident took place near Shangani, involving a group of parliamentarians who were travelling together when their vehicle collided with an elephant.
“Good morning colleagues. Honourables Madalaboy Ndebele, Senator Rittah Ndlovu, Sethulo Ndebele, Libion Sibanda and Desire Moyo were involved in an accident just before Shangani.
They hit an elephant. Sadly, Hon. Moyo has been confirmed dead and his family has been notified. The other passengers have been taken to hospital for treatment,” said Hon. Bajila.
Further information about the accident and the condition of the other legislators is expected to be released as investigations continue.
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