KEY POINTS
- Two trainee nurses charged with forging O-Level certificates.
- Mpilo Hospital recruitment faces deeper credibility crisis.
- Fake doctor case earlier this year worsened trust issues.
Mpilo Central Hospital has been hit by fresh controversy after two trainee nurses were dragged before the courts for allegedly using forged certificates to secure places at its nursing school.
The latest case involves 23-year-old Thelma Gurupira of Mbare, Harare, who appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba on Monday. Prosecutors allege she tendered a fake Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) certificate showing six passes to gain admission. She trained at Mpilo’s School of Nursing from September 2022 until September 2025 before the forgery was exposed.
Second trainee arrested in certificate scandal
Just days earlier, another nursing student, 25-year-old Sandra Kudzaishe Ndege, was also charged with forging O-Level results. Prosecutors said her fake certificate showed eight passes, including key subjects, despite her having only four passes across two sittings. She is accused of receiving a salary as a trainee until her fraud was uncovered in July.
Mpilo scandal deepens after fake doctor case
The back-to-back arrests have intensified scrutiny on Mpilo’s recruitment system, already reeling from the case of Taurayi Prosper Vanhuvaone, who posed as a doctor under the alias “Dr. Prosper Mpofu.” He ran a fake practice inside the hospital for two years, duping patients and job-seekers before being jailed in March for seven years.
Calls grow for stricter vetting measures
Furthermore, the scandals have fuelled public concern over patient safety and the credibility of Mpilo’s training programs. Critics say the hospital needs tougher background checks to prevent fraud and restore trust in its health-care standards.
