The high court this Thursday granted an urgent court order allowing the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association to march from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to the Parliament of Zimbabwe to hand over their petition over the alleged abduction of the association’s President, Dr Peter Magombeyi who went missing over the weekend.
The ruling by High Court judge, Clement Phiri was in response to an urgent application filed by the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association.
The doctors and other medical personnel were escorted by police as they marched from Parirenyatwa Hospital to the Parliament building this Thursday afternoon, where they handed over a petition addressed to the Speaker of the House of Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda.
“We are here to deliver our petition to the Speaker of Parliament to bring to the attention of MP’s our grievances regarding our missing colleague. We feel the government can do more to locate Dr Magombeyi and also to ensure our safety,” said Dr Tawanda Zvakada, the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe, Hospital Doctors Association.
Magombeyi was reported missing on Saturday and his family filed an urgent chamber application with the High Court on Sunday, seeking an order compelling the State to account for his whereabouts. There is however some information that Dr Magombeyi left home to attend an all night prayer.
Some medical doctors and nurses on Monday staged a protest in Harare and delivered a petition to Munhumutapa offices expressing concern over the disappearance of Dr Magombeyi.
Conversely some observers are querying the timing of the alleged abduction with some saying it was stage managed to discredit the government ahead of the United Nations General Assembly which President Emmerson Mnangagwa is due to attend next week and also to coincide with the visiting United Nations rapporteur who was in the country to assess the human rights situation.
On the other hand the doctors are alleging that their members were habitually threatened with death for refusing to accept the salary increment offered by government.
The government has since assured the doctors that the state is doing everything it can to find the missing doctor.
The Ministries of Health and Child Care, State Security and Foreign Affairs and International Trade have all issued out statements expressing their concern and commitment to ensure the safe return of Dr Magombeyi.
