Corporate Profile
Commissioners & Secretary
The seven-member commission is led by Dr Vincent Hungwe, the chairperson of the Health Service Commission. Serving alongside him is Dr Rugare Abigail Kangwende, appointed as deputy chairperson. The other five commissioners, Major-General (Rtd) Gerald Gwinji, Dr Edward Makondo, Mr Angelbert Mbengwa, Mrs Josephine Mwakutuya, and Ms Mercy Sibongile Gwaunza, bring to the table their rich experience and expertise in various aspects of health services.
Dr Vincent Hungwe
Dr Hungwe has over 25 years of professional training and work experience in policy development and management, programming in natural resource management, agriculture development, local government, public sector reform, decentralization, science and technology development, sustainable livelihoods and community-driven development.
Dr Hungwe rose from humble beginnings as a teacher to Town Planning Officer, Principal Director, a renowned University Lecturer and to be a Permanent Secretary in the then Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. He then became a Technical Adviser on Local Economic Development at United Nations Development Programme where he joined the Commissions from.
He has served and still sits on several boards including; Agricultural & Rural Development Authority, Agricultural Land Settlement Board, Zimbabwe Agricultural & Industrial Development Agency, Midlands State University Council, Advisory Board of Governor of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
Dr Hungwe holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning (Real Estate Development) from the University of Cornell (USA), two Masters Degrees and a BA in Geography and history.
DR RUGARE ABIGAIL KANGWENDE
Dr Rugare Abigail Kangwende is a seasoned medical practitioner, specialising in public health, with over 40 years’ experience in the health sector at policy, management, and technical levels. She has held leadership positions in both the public and private health sector, as well as the academia. During her tenure with the Ministry of Health and Child Care as Director Monitoring and Evaluation, she spearheaded implementation of the Whole-of-Government Performance Management System, and coordination of Sustainable Development Goals at both ministry and inter-ministerial levels. Dr Kangwende also coordinated the Health and Well-being priority area of the NDS1 from its inception up to the Mid-term review conducted in 2023.
As past vice-president of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe, she has vast experience in the regulation of medical and dental practice and training in Zimbabwe and the Region. Before joining the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Kangwende was a member of the Public Health Advisory Board, which in terms of the Public Health Act, advises the Minister of Health and Child Care.
Dr Kangwende is also a past national vice-president of the Zimbabwe Medical Association, and past chair of the Mashonaland Faculty of the College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe. In these positions she gained valuable experience in creating mutually beneficial partnerships between the public and private health sectors, as well as development partners.
In the academia, Dr Kangwende contributed to human capital development by lecturing in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Africa University. She established the Africa University Clinical Research Centre, and later became the university’s Director of the Office of Research and Outreach Programmes. Through a research grant award, she established and led the Africa University Research Ethics Committee. This experience, coupled with many years of being a member of the National Health and Development Committee of the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe gave her a good grasp of ethics in health research and health service.
COMMISSIONER
Mr Angelbert Mbengwa
Mr Mbengwa is a seasoned Human Resources practitioner has worked in Government for over 30 years and was once an Undersecretary responsible for Human Resources in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Mr Mbengwa holds an Honours degree in Sociology from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), and a MSc in Strategic Management for International Public Health from Emory University. He was the Acting Executive Director of HSB until its transformation to HSC where he continued as Acting Secretary to the Commission.
COMMISSIONER
Mercy Sibongile Gwaunza
Ms Gwaunza is a seasoned Legal Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in Labour Law, Civil Litigation, Commercial law, Arbitration and Conveyancing. She served as an Arbitrator with the Commercial Arbitration Centre and was a member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the World Bank, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes from 2013-2019.
She has served as a number of boards and was a trustee of the Law Society of Zimbabwe. and also served as a member of the HSB from 2018 to December 2022. She served as a member of the Compensation Fund from 2012-2015 and later as a board member of the Health Service Board from 2018 to December 2022.
COMMISSIONER
Dr Edward Makondo
Dr Makondo is a Registered General and Mental Health Nurse with experience in nursing, clinical, teaching and administrative areas.
Dr Edward Makondo holds a Diploma in Nursing Education, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Adult Education and a Doctorate in Literature and Philosophy. He was Deputy Director Nurse Training and Administration the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Chairman of the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe.
COMMISSIONER
Major General (Rtd) Dr Gerald Gwinji .
Dr Gwinji is a qualified medical doctor and senior administrator with over 35 years’ experience in administration and leadership at several levels in public health.
He served in the medical field as a clinical and administrative officer rising to become director general, health services, in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Secretary for Health and Child Care.
Dr Gwinji also served as Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
“He has vast knowledge and experience on health workforce policy and strategy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,”
“Over the course of his career, he has had exposure in managing operational activities in complex and large entities in Government. He has served in key international portfolios and headed the Secretariat for the High-Level Task Force.”
COMMISSIONER
Mrs Josephine Mwakutuya
She has over 30 years of experience in health workforce regulation obtained in several portfolios. She served as the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ). Her portfolio included providing advice to Council as well as the Ministry of Health & Child Care on formulation of guidelines to address identified gaps in health workforce regulation with a view to ensure that Council realises its purpose of promoting the health of the population of the country. She is experienced in developing health workforce regulations.
She worked with international bodies which included the World Health Organisation in various consultancies in health workforce regulation as well as serving on several committees on health workforce regulation Internationally, Sub-Saharan Region and SADC health workforce regulatory associations.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Masters in Business Administration and a Diploma in Law Arbitration and Conciliation.
Health Service Commission – Secretary
Dr Christopher P Pasi
Dr Pasi holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, a Masters in Medicine, Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the College of Physicians in Central and East Africa.
He joined Government in 1993, rising through the ranks to become Chief Medical Officer at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, a post he held till this appointment.