By NQOBANI NDLOVU
THE opposition Zapu party has vowed to go ahead with its planned sit-in at Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) nursing school today in protest over unfair enrolment of student nurses.
This comes amid reports that the two institutions recently enrolled trainees from other regions and overlooked applications from the Matabeleland region.
Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and Bulawayo Metropolitan Affairs minister Judith Ncube have also condemned the questionable recruitment, saying it was against government policy. Yesterday, the Health ministry warned activists and politicians against “unwarranted” visits to hospitals after Zapu activists stormed Mpilo and UBH in protest.
Activists, political actors and other stakeholders from the region have questioned the recruitment processes of trainee nurses at Mpilo and UBH following revelations that the majority were from outside Matabeleland.
Mpilo clinical director Solwayo Ngwenya, who also heads the school of nursing, has been quoted saying the selection process was done in Harare after the introduction of an online nurses’ application platform.
Zapu yesterday said it would stage a sit-in at the two biggest referral hospitals in Bulawyao to protest against the unfair recruitment despite warnings by the Health ministry to stay away from the health institutions.
“When the government has to resort to propaganda to hide their inefficiencies, it is the duty of politicians to go and find out the truth for themselves, therefore, they lack the moral ground from barring politicians from visiting hospitals,” Zapu southern region spokesperson Patrick Ndlovu said.
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“We don’t think it’s fair for the lessons to go ahead while this issue is unresolved. Hospitals are not PR [public relations] venues for the First Lady (Auxillia Mnangagwa) to prop up her dubious image.”
Zapu deputy national organising secretary Ndodana Moyo added: “Government must just address this issue instead of threatening political actors, activists and other stakeholders for raising concern over this issue.
“We are going ahead with our intended programme to stop lessons to stop this unfair recruitment. We invite all progressive people of Matabeleland to come in their numbers and correct this anomaly. Zipra [Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army] did it, we will also do it.”
