Story by Stanley Chirimbani
Pictures by Tonderai Bonyongwa
There was pomp and celebration galore at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mutambara Hospital Mission staff house on the 3rd of August 2025.
The event was a significant development, driven by the urgent need for additional accommodation at Mission Hospital. The project is being funded to the tune of £48,400 (approximately USD 64,400) by the BET Trust, which is great news for the hospital.
In an interview on the sidelines of the ground-breaking ceremony, the United Methodist Church (UMC) Bishop Gift Kudakwashe Machinga emphasized that the mission of the church is all about bringing life and making a positive change to people’s lives. He had a stern word for the builders, urging them to do the job properly.
The Bishop also had a message for all the workers living and working on the church premises: live your life in a way that reflects God’s love. He extended this message to those who’ll be living in the new staff house, encouraging them to live in peace and harmony, so they can showcase God’s love and presence at the Mission.
“The bottom line of our mission as a church is making disciples for the transformation of the world through Jesus Christ,” the Bishop stated clearly.
Mutambara Station Manager Reverend Banabas Gwatura was super grateful to the Bishop for showing up at short notice. He highlighted how concerned he was about the welfare of the mission staff.
“We are a service provider here at the hospital, so we can’t build our buildings. That is why we have meetings to seek help from donors and stakeholders. We reached out to the former RBZ governor, Mr. John Mangudya, who is building two houses right now. We’re hoping this new house will make a real difference, Rev Gwatura explained.
Mutambara Mission Hospital Matron, Nhamo Mirato, also thanked the Bishop for his quick response. He assured everyone that the hospital would do its best to construct the house. Mr. Mirato pointed out that this is the 8th building project undertaken by the BET Trust, on top of the outpatient department and doctors’ consultation rooms they have already done.