Zimbabwe is in the grip of a devastating maternal mortality crisis, a direct consequence of decades of ZANU PF misrule. The statistics are horrifying—960 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, placing the country among the worst in the world. In January 2025 alone, 54 women lost their lives during childbirth, while 300 infants perished before taking their first breath. These are not just numbers; they are mothers, daughters, and newborns whose lives were cut short due to a healthcare system in ruins.

This crisis is three times worse than the global average and almost double the Sub-Saharan African average. Pregnancy-induced hypertension, postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal sepsis, malaria, and obstructed labor are among the leading causes of death. HIV and AIDS-related complications, which account for 25% of maternal deaths, further expose the catastrophic state of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system. What makes this tragedy even more unbearable is that most of these deaths are preventable—if only the government prioritized healthcare over corruption, power retention, and self-enrichment.

A functioning government would ensure that every pregnant woman has access to skilled medical care during childbirth, yet in Zimbabwe, only 66% of births are attended by trained professionals. Thirteen percent rely on traditional birth attendants or untrained family members, and a shocking 3% of births are entirely unassisted. In a country where billions disappear through looting, patronage networks, and unnecessary foreign trips by government officials, women are left to die in agony because basic healthcare services are inaccessible.

In response to the crisis, the government—under pressure from international donors—has attempted to revive Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs), facilities designed to provide high-risk pregnant women with accommodation near healthcare centers. While this initiative is commendable, it is nothing more than a band-aid solution to a problem created by ZANU PF’s failures. These efforts do not address the root cause of the crisis: a collapsed health system plagued by underfunding, corruption, and a critical shortage of trained personnel.

The truth is that Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, like every other sector under ZANU PF rule, is in freefall. Hospitals lack basic medicines, equipment is outdated or non-functional, and healthcare workers are overworked, underpaid, and leaving the country in droves. While senior government officials seek medical treatment abroad, ordinary Zimbabwean women are forced to deliver their babies in unsafe conditions, often paying with their lives.

The maternal mortality crisis is not just a failure of healthcare; it is a damning indictment of ZANU PF’s governance. It exposes the government’s disregard for human life and its inability to prioritize the well-being of its citizens. Zimbabwe does not suffer from a lack of resources—it suffers from a corrupt, incompetent regime that has turned state institutions into personal piggy banks. Until there is political change, the country will continue to bury mothers and newborns who should have had a fighting chance at life.