DOZENS of doctors and other health staff mainly from Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) Monday staged their own demonstration to demand the release of abducted union leader Peter Mugombeyi.<\/p>\n
Magombeyi, who is acting Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), was allegedly seized from his Harare home Sunday by some unknown men suspected to be state security agents.<\/p>\n
ZHDA, under Magombeyi\u2019s leadership, has been calling for a pay strike.<\/p>\n
The placard waving demonstrators gathered at the doctors quarters where they were addressed by the association\u2018s outgoing secretary general Mthabisi Bhebhe.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring Dr Peter Magombeya! No Peter No work,\u201d read some of the posters.<\/p>\n
Addressing the demonstrators, Bhebhe vowed to continue with the strike until Magombeya was released.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are demanding the immediate release of Dr Magombeya. When he is released, he should be paid an adequate salary. If there is no salary increment after his release, we will continue with the strike,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bhebhe said Magombeya\u2019s adduction has emotionally drained the doctors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government\u2018s latest attack on our colleague has made it impossible for us to continue reporting for work because we do not have that emotional strength to come to work for a government that does not appreciate our efforts,\u201d said Bhebhe.<\/p>\n
He decried the continued violation of human rights by the government.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people are saying we are now being selfish. No, we are not being selfish. Do you know that right now about 23 citizens are being charged for trying to subvert the government? We do not know whether this is true or not but these are just mere citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this is an attack not just on doctors but to the general citizens. People have been dying anyway whether coming to work or not. People\u2019s rights are being violated every day. People have been beaten up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Several government critics, including a comedienne and a teachers\u2019 union leader, have in recent weeks been abducted from their homes, tortured and warned by their captors against confronting the government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DOZENS of doctors and other health staff mainly from Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) Monday staged their own demonstration to demand the release of abducted union leader Peter Mugombeyi. Magombeyi, who is acting Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), was allegedly seized from his Harare home Sunday by some unknown men suspected to be state […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":13698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[800,202,836],"class_list":{"0":"post-13697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-community","9":"tag-government-of-zimbabwe","10":"tag-striking-doctors","11":"tag-united-bulawayo-hospital"},"yoast_head":"\n