ZAPU activists, who on Tuesday forced the temporary closure
of the Catholic mission-run St Anne’s Brunapeg Nursing School in Mangwe,
Matabeleland South province, protesting alleged unfair recruitment of trainee
nurses, have been arrested.
Police arrested seven of the activists for disrupting
activities at the nursing school. The activists, who were represented by lawyer
Prince Bhutshe Dube, were supposed to appear at the Plumtree Magistrates’ Court
yesterday.
Zapu southern region spokesperson Patrick Ndlovu confirmed
the arrest, but said the accused were not taken to court.
“They were detained overnight in Plumtree, but were not
taken to court. They were released after signing warned and cautioned
statements today (yesterday),” he said.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector
Philisani Ndebele referred Southern Eye to national police spokesperson
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Nyathi was unreachable for comment.
The incident comes less than a month after the opposition
party and civic society activists in Bulawayo, among others, stormed Mpilo
Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals to protest over the same issue.
Southern Eye heard that the Zapu delegation met the
priest-in-charge of the nursing facility, Hlakanipha Dube, and members of the
hospital administration to register concern over the recruitment of trainee
nurses.
It is understood that all trainee nurses at the institution
are not from Mangwe district, with the hospital administration reportedly
stating that they had no hand in the recruitment exercise. The recruitment was
reportedly done in Harare through the online platform.
“Our visit to Brunapeg was a response to locals who
complained about student nurse recruitment at St Annes Brunapeg Hospital as all
the recruits were drawn from Harare, sidelining locals. We are challenging the
State to drop its segregation of communities and implement devolution of power
as provided for in the Constitution,” Zapu spokesperson Ipithule Maphosa said.
Repeated efforts to obtain a comment from St Annes
priest-in-charge were fruitless. Government recently succumbed to pressure from
local activists after it came under attack over the questionable recruitment at
Mpilo and UBH nursing schools. Health minister Obadiah Moyo said the
recruitment would be decentralised, beginning next year.
“Going forward the electronic recruitment will be
administered by the province and central hospitals starting with the May 2020
intake. Government will continue to put in place measures and policies that
will curb corruption,” the minister said.
However, Zapu said the system was open to abuse.
“We are suggesting an affirmative action for the southern
region on education and training so that the people catch up with their
northern counterparts on opportunities to jobs … Online recruitment must be
ceased with immediate effect as it disadvantages others, while it is prone to
manipulation by those in charge of that system,” Maphosa said. Newsday
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