From scarcity to regional solidarity: Zimbabwe aids Botswana in ARV shortage crisis
Botswana’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sarah Molosiwa, was at NatPharm headquarters in Harare as trucks carrying a consignment of anti-retroviral drugs departed for Gaborone. Ambassador Molosiwa was received and briefed by NatPharm Managing Director Newman Mazikwa before the convoy’s departure.
Image: Embassy of Botswana in Harare/ IOL Graphics
Zimbabwe came to the aid of neighbouring Botswana with a shipment of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), stepping in to help stabilise Gaborone’s HIV treatment programme after temporary procurement delays sparked concerns across health facilities.
According to the Botswana Embassy in Harare, the consignment that left Zimbabwe in October was structured as both a donation and a loan. Twenty percent of the ARVs were provided as a donation, while the remaining 80% will be reimbursed by Botswana in the form of replacement stock.
“The government of the Republic of Zimbabwe extended a generous gesture to the Republic of Botswana through a loan facility, with 20% of the consignment as a donation and 80% provided as a loan to be reimbursed in the form of ARVs,” the embassy said.
Botswana’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sarah Molosiwa, conveyed appreciation on behalf of President Duma Gideon Boko, calling the intervention “a vital gesture of solidarity” between the two neighbours.
Botswana confirms arrival of the ARVs
The Botswana Ministry of Health and Wellness said the shipment had arrived in Gaborone, noting that the consignment would help stabilise the country’s ARV supply chain after delays in procurement.
“Loaning medicines and medical commodities is a common practice for countries that are friendly to each other, as Botswana is to its neighbours,” the ministry said in a public statement. “This will help stabilise the ARV situation in the country.”
Zimbabwe’s expanding pharmaceutical capacity
The emergency support also highlights Zimbabwe’s growing pharmaceutical capacity, which has expanded in recent years as part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s broader push toward local manufacturing and health-sector resilience.
Zimbabwean media reported that Mnangagwa recently commissioned a US$6.96 million National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) warehouse in Mutare — a facility billed as a critical step in the country’s aim to become a regional hub for medical supplies. The president noted that the number of pharmaceutical entities operating in Zimbabwe has risen sharply since 2018.
Analysts say the ability to loan ARVs to another country marks a symbolic shift for Zimbabwe, which for many years struggled with chronic drug shortages and reliance on donor support. The gesture is being seen as part of a broader repositioning of Zimbabwe as a contributor to regional medical security.
A moment of regional solidarity
The exchange drew widespread attention across social media in both countries. In Zimbabwe, many users have framed it as proof of national progress and improved capacity. In Botswana, the gesture has been welcomed as an example of “African solutions to African challenges,” with several commentators suggesting that such arrangements should be incorporated into a formal SADC health-security framework.
Observers said the episode may signal a more coordinated regional approach to mitigating medicine shortages — whether caused by procurement delays, global supply chain disruptions or funding gaps.
For Botswana, the immediate benefit was continuity of treatment for thousands of patients relying on ARVs. For Zimbabwe, the shipment represents a diplomatic boost and a showcase of growing pharmaceutical strength.
This story was initially published on IOL in October 2025.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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