By Tendai Chisiri
HARARE – Cancer patients in Zimbabwe received a boost this week after Cancerserve was handed a US$10,000 donation at the official opening of the FBC Zim Open Golf Tournament at Royal Harare Golf Club on Monday night.
The donation, made by Zimre Holdings Limited through the tournament,’s cancer initiative “Swing for Wellness” was announced during the event’s official opening, which also marked the start of the championship. The Zim Open Championship started on Thursday to Sunday and is currently underway.
The funds were raised during last year’s edition of the tournament, with contributions collected up to the end of the event. Organizers chose this year’s opening ceremony to publicly hand over the donation.
Receiving the gift on behalf of Cancerserve, founder and chairperson Dr Anna Mary Nyakabau said the contribution would go directly toward awareness, screening, and treatment support for patients across Zimbabwe.
“It is a great honour and privilege to stand before you tonight, on behalf of Cancerserve and the patients we serve, to receive this generous donation towards the cancer cause in our beloved country, Zimbabwe,” Dr. Nyakabau said.
She placed the donation in the context of Zimbabwe’s cancer burden, noting that the National Cancer Registry records over 8,000 new cases and about 3,000 deaths annually.
“That is the equivalent of three eighty-seater bus disasters of Zimbabweans dying of cancer every single month. Each of them is a father, a mother, a sibling or a child,” she said. “The unprecedented and exponential rise in cancer cases calls for united efforts by all stakeholders to complement existing work — particularly in the public sector, where the majority of disadvantaged members of our society present for care.”
Dr. Nyakabau explained that Cancerserve was born out of that burden, with a mission to mitigate the impact of cancer care challenges in Zimbabwe. She added that the donation would help fund awareness campaigns, screenings, patient support, and education in line with the Zimbabwe National Cancer Control Plan.
“This generous donation means that we can do more awareness, more screenings, support more patients through treatment, and keep educating our communities… It means hope gets a real budget,” she said.
Speaking at the handover, Valerie Ndudzo, Head of Marketing and Public Relations at Zimre Holdings, said the cancer initiative “Swing for Wellness” was introduced to enhance the tournament’s impact and corporate social responsibility.
“The idea of integrating a cancer corporate social responsibility initiative into the Zim Open golf tournament came as I was just trying to find ways on how we could improve the experience,” Ndudzo said. “Besides losing loved ones, the treatment of cancer doesn’t come cheap all over. And for the less privileged, it can actually mean a death sentence.”
Her research led her to Parirenyatwa Hospital and Cancerserve’s work under Dr. Nyakabau. With approval from the Zim Open committee, the partnership was launched. Ndudzo said the initiative demonstrated the power of a strong brand to create goodwill beyond business.
“As Zimre Holdings, we are not paying lip service to the cancer initiative. We have decided to keep the momentum going through one of our subsidiaries, WFDR Risk Services, who was spearheading operations,” she said. “And we do have one last surprise for Cancerserve.”
Caroline Mbofana, Managing Director of WFDR Risk Services, unveiled the surprise: a new movement called the WFDR Pink and Blue Olympics, aimed at mobilizing corporate and public support for breast and prostate cancer treatment.
“Cancer is not just a medical issue, it is a human issue. It touches families, workplaces, and friendships. It touches all of us,” Mbofana said. “What if we treat cancer not as a disease but as a sport? That gave birth to a movement that we are calling WFDR Pink and Blue Olympics. Pink is for breast cancer, whilst blue is for prostate cancer for men, as we don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
She said the movement would bring together corporates, individuals, and communities to fund treatment, support prevention, and drive awareness. To illustrate the need, she noted that a full cycle of breast cancer treatment can cost around US$150, while prostate cancer treatment can cost up to US$2,500.
“This evening, in alignment with this event and the contribution already made, WFDR will fund 10 ladies for a full breast cancer cycle to the tune of US$2,000,” Mbofana announced. “But this is not just a gesture, it is a signal of intent.”
WFDR is targeting support for 200 patients this year for breast, cervical, and prostate cancers.
“Whilst golf teaches us precision, patience and discipline, cancer also demands the same thing — but more, as it demands collective action,” she said. “We don’t want just to attend this event, but we want to be part of a bigger solution.”
The Zim Open Golf Tournament continues at Royal Harare Golf Club until Sunday.
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