Prof Solwayo Ngwenya Appointed Mpilo Substantive Chief Executive Officer

Renowned medical practitioner, academic and administrator Professor Solwayo Ngwenya has been appointed substantive Chief Executive Officer at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, ending several years in the acting role, reported CITE.

The appointment was announced on Tuesday in an internal staff notice issued by the Chief Medical Office.

“Professor Solwayo Ngwenya has been appointed to the new post of Chief Executive Officer for Mpilo Central Hospital, and has already assumed the duties of the office,” the notice reads.

His appointment formalises a position he has effectively held since the retirement of former Chief Executive Officer Dr Narcisius Dzvanga on 25 December 2025.

While serving in an acting capacity, Prof Ngwenya introduced several reforms to strengthen professionalism, improve accountability and enhance the hospital’s day-to-day operations.

His substantive appointment also brings to a close a leadership journey that has attracted considerable attention within the health sector.

In 2022, Prof Ngwenya was widely tipped to become Mpilo’s substantive chief executive officer after serving as Clinical Director and later acting CEO following the departure of Leonard Mabhandi.

However, the position was instead awarded to Dr Dzvanga, who was then acting chief executive officer at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), despite reports that he had applied for the UBH post rather than the Mpilo position.

At the time, sources familiar with the recruitment process alleged that Prof Ngwenya had applied for the Mpilo chief executive role, while Dr Dzvanga had sought the position at UBH.

The appointments sparked debate within the health sector, with some questioning how the two posts had ultimately been allocated.

Nearly four years later, Prof Ngwenya has now secured the substantive leadership position at Mpilo, ending years of uncertainty over the hospital’s top clinical post.

A respected obstetrician and gynaecologist, Prof Ngwenya holds several local and international qualifications, including an MBChB from the University of Zimbabwe, a PhD from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), and fellowships from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom and the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of East, Central and Southern Africa. He is also a qualified statistician and epidemiologist.

Prof Ngwenya, a proud traditionalist and polygamist with four wives, attracted attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when he called for a hard lockdown and strict compliance with lockdown regulations and preventive health protocols.