Pagwesese David Parirenyatwa (born August 2, 1950) is a

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

an politician who served in the government of Zimbabwe as Minister of Health from 2013 to 2018. Previously he served as Minister of Health from 2002 to 2009. He is a medical doctor by profession.

Political career

Parirenyatwa served as Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare until he was appointed as Minister of Health and Child Welfare in August 2002. He replaced

Timothy Stamps Timothy John Stamps (15 October 1936 – 26 November 2017) was a Welsh and Zimbabwean politician and doctor who served in the Government of Zimbabwe as Minister of Health from 1986 to 2002. For most of that period, he was the only white member ...

, who was ill; Parirenyatwa had already been effectively in charge of the ministry for some time due to Stamps' illness. Itai Rusike, Executive Director of the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), said on June 18, 2007, that the unavailability of drinking water and the contamination of available water had increased the number of citizens at risk for

waterborne diseases Waterborne diseases are conditions (meaning adverse effects on human health, such as death, disability, illness or disorders) caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted in water. These diseases can be spread while bathing, washing ...

. Many have already suffered from

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

. The Public Health Act forbids shutting off water for more than two days. Rusike called on Parirenyatwa to use the Public Health Act to make

Munacho Mutezo Munacho T.A. Mutezo (born 14 February 1954) is a Zimbabwean engineer, businessman and politician. He was born on 14 February 1954 in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. Government positions/timeline 2005–2008 Minister for Water Resources and Infrastruc ...

, the Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development, turn on the tap. "If there is an outbreak of diseases now, it is arirenyatwawho would be blamed."Zimbabwe: Urban Residents Threaten Action Over Water Crisis
June 18, 2007. Zimbabwe Standard via AllAfrica He warned that

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

and

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

pose a serious threat to Zimbabwe on June 21, 2007.Zimbabwe: WHO donates medical supplies, equipment
June 21, 2007. BuaNews via AllAfrica Parirenyatwa was nominated as ZANU-PF's candidate for the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

seat from Murehwa North in

Mashonaland East Mashonaland East, informally Mash East, is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 32,230 km2 and a population of approximately 1.35 million (2012). Marondera is the capital of the province. Geography Districts Mashonaland East i ...

in the March 2008 parliamentary election. He won the seat with 7,104 votes against 6,468 for the candidate of the

Movement for Democratic Change Movement for Democratic Change or MDC may refer to: * Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T), the former main opposition party in Zimbabwe ** Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai Congress 2006, the second MDC–T congress ...

. After President

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

was re-elected in July 2013, Parirenyatwa was appointed as Minister of Health on 10 September 2013. On Friday 7 September 2018, David Parirentatwa was dropped by current president Emmerson Mnangagwa from Cabinet. On 13 September 2018, it was reported that he had been picked up by police for questioning. Parirenyatwa was put on the

United States sanctions After the failure of the Embargo Act of 1807, the federal government of the United States took little interest in imposing embargoes and economic sanctions against foreign countries until the 20th century. United States trade policy was entirely a ...

list in 2003.Blocking property of persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe
/ref> The

Parirenyatwa Hospital Parirenyatwa General Hospital a hospital in Harare and is the largest medical centre in Zimbabwe. The hospital was formerly known as the Andrew Fleming Hospital and was named after the principal medical officer to the British South Africa Company ...

is named after his father,

Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa (17 July 1927 – 14 August 1962) was Zimbabwe's first trained black physician, medical doctor and the first vice-president of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). He rose to prominence during ZAPU's political ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parirenyatwa, David Living people Members of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe 1950 births Government ministers of Zimbabwe ZANU–PF politicians