Striking Zimbabwean Doctors Arrested

Voica of America News ^ | November 14, 2003 | Tendai Maphosa in Harare

[Clive]

Zimbabwean authorities have arrested state-employed doctors who went on strike for higher wages.

The arrest of three doctors was made when they turned up for a scheduled meeting with the government negotiating council. Spokesman for the striking doctors, Dr. Phibion Manyanga, who is in hiding, told VOA that the doctors were aware of the police plan to arrest them. The head of the Public Service Commission, Mariyawanda Nzuwa, said the doctors' demands for a salary increase of up to 8,000 percent is ridiculous and unacceptable. Mr. Nzuwa said even President Robert Mugabe does not earn as much as the doctors are demanding.

He also accused the doctors of trying to gain public sympathy by deliberately understating their income. At the unofficial rate, junior doctors now earn about $63 a month, while their mid-level counterparts earn about $80 a month.

Under Zimbabwean law, it is illegal for doctors, who are considered essential workers, to strike.

The doctors went on strike on October 23, after several attempts failed to get their salaries increased. They defied a court order to return to work, saying they first want government assurances their salaries will be increased.

Zimbabwe's health care system, once considered one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa, is collapsing because of a severe shortage of money for salaries, medical equipment and essential drugs. Many of Zimbabwe's doctors, nurses and other health care professionals are leaving the country for places offering better pay.

[Clive]

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[joanofarc]

Zimbabwea?

Whatever happened to Rhodesia?

[Steve Eisenberg]

Mr. Nzuwa said even President Robert Mugabe does not earn as much as the doctors are demanding.

See:

Mugabe uses Channel Islands to hide his millions

Normally, public workers shouldn't stike, but this situation is hardly normal.

[JRandomFreeper]

Zimbabwe's health care system, once considered one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa, is collapsing because of a severe shortage of money

Socialism (or more accurately, raw thuggery) certainly helped out the average Zimbabwe. NOT!

/john

[cyborg]

$63 a MONTH... sheesh and often times they do not know when they will get paid. People wonder why there's a brain drain?? I live in New York and I've met many a brilliant African doctor. None of them have ever expressed a desire to go back to barely scraping by when they're living in gated golf resorts here in America, and abroad in England, Australia,etc.

[happygrl]

Zimbabwe is now in hyper inflation. My daughter spoke by phone to her employer of last year, who stated that he has raised employees salaries weekly to try to keep them afloat.

Businesses cannot stay solvent at that rate.

I have ceased speculating how much longer this can continue; the people there will have to wage a peasant war with pitchforks and scythes, since they will have to be their own rescuers.

[katz]

A look into the future when Single Payer Plans/Universal Health Care comes to America. No one will want to be a doctor or nurse. Pharmaceutical companies will no longer do research for life saving drugs under price control laws.

[GeronL]

Man, its breaking down. I guess that will actually push things to change?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Castro exports Cuban doctors to work for free in such budding communist countries like Zimbabwe and Venezuela. The local doctors better get with the program.

[Clive]

Some of the local doctors have crossed the Limpopo. I expect more to follow.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

What destruction Mugabe has wrought. The man is evil.

[CDHart]

Rhodesia turned into Zimbabwe -- Robby Noel predicted this outcome years ago on his shortwave program. It's a real tragedy.

Carolyn