Government has warned against the frequency of false
abductions and is crafting measures to deal with the threat and punish those
responsible. This was said by President Mnangagwa in his address to the nation
last night.
His comments follow the alleged abduction of Zimbabwe
Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) acting president Dr Peter Magombeyi last
weekend.
His alleged disappearance resulted in health personnel
downing tools, demanding his release, while questions were raised in many
quarters on the authenticity of the said abduction, amid indications it could
have been staged to tarnish the Government’s image.
Dr Magombeyi was “found” on Thursday night in Nyabira,
about 40km west of Harare.
“While we are happy that a staffer at a local hospital who
had been reported missing has now been found unharmed, Government is disturbed
by the growing trend of politically-motivated false abductions in the country
which are calculated to put Government in negative light,” said President
Mnangagwa.
“Such political trickery, which in fact amounts to
terrorism, will not take our country forward. The State has a responsibility to
ensure protection and safety for all citizens. New measures might have to be
formulated to deal with this new threat and to severely punish those
responsible for such subterfuges.”
President Mnangagwa said Government was disappointed by the
health workers’ decision to strike following the alleged abduction, saying this
resulted in unnecessary loss of lives.
“Equally, Government was not impressed at all by the way
medical staff, as organised labour, responded to this political act of
propaganda trickery,” he said.
“Reports on hand indicate innocent lives were gambled with,
affected and even lost, as our medical staff who must provide an essential
service, abandoned post in solidarity with the so-called missing staffer. While
the ‘missing’ person has been found, precious lives already harmed or lost are
either permanently incapacitated or lost forever.
“It is very sad, indeed a poor reflection on a profession
of such standing and on its commitment to the unique oath that binds it.”
President Mnangagwa called on the health personnel to
return to work and restore service to those in need of them.
“As we reflect on this sad turn of events, the least our
medical staff can do now is to return to their work stations without any
further delay and to restore and resume vital service to all those in desperate
need of them,” he said.
“The appropriate, professional response to reports of any
missing person should never take the form that endangers more lives, all of
them innocent. Now is the time for our medical staff to retrieve their
collective conscience and to restate their commitment to the very oath that
makes their profession sacred.
“As I said, Government is looking at improving their
working conditions, including revamping our entire health delivery services,
through significant investments which are already evident. But the cycle of
labour instability and indiscipline in the medical sector must come to an end.”
President Mnangagwa said Government would continue to
review and adjust the cost of living of all civil servants, although the
drought experienced this year had resulted in meagre resources being directed
towards the importation of grain.
“Our nation requires bridging grain of more than 800 000
tonnes to ensure food security in the country until the next harvest,” he said.
“All the same, Government continues to value and address the concerns of our
care-givers, whose services are essential and life-saving.”
Meanwhile, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain
Mathema said Dr Magombeyi had been examined by his own medical personal and
Government doctors and would be interviewed by the police, in consultation with
his lawyers, once discharged.
Minister Mathema warned some sections of the media and
human rights lawyers against interfering with police investigations.
“The Government of Zimbabwe reiterates that Dr Magombeyi
has not been arrested by the police as portrayed in some media circles, neither
has he been denied access to his lawyers,” he said. “In fact it is on record
through the police that Dr Magombeyi has freely accessed his lawyers, medical
doctors and reunited with his family.
“May I caution the media, human rights lawyers and some
civic organisations against interfering with police investigations through the
issuance of unverified statements, some of which border on defeating or
obstructing the course of justice.” Herald
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