Share

Protesting Zimbabwe health workers could face jail after new law passed

accreditation
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
Striking Zimbabwean hospital workers could face punishment after a new law was passed.
Striking Zimbabwean hospital workers could face punishment after a new law was passed.
Getty Images

Zimbabwe on Tuesday signed a bill into law that outlawed organised protests by healthcare workers who could now face a fine or an imprisonment of up to six months.

The signing by President Emmerson Mnangagwa comes after health workers were locked in a protracted fight with the government over poor salaries last year.

Thousands of nurses and doctors at state-run hospitals in the southern African country went on strike last year demanding a hefty raise and wages in US dollars due to a slide in the local currency and steep inflation that eroded the value of their earnings.

An exodus of doctors and nurses has left Zimbabwean hospitals understaffed, with over 4 000 health workers leaving the country since 2021, the country's Health Services Board said in November.

Many nurses in Zimbabwe earn less than $100 a month.



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed. 
Subscribe to News24
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think South Africa has descended into a mafia state?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, that’s a bit extreme
6% - 134 votes
Yes, and it’s becoming normalised
94% - 2055 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.16
+0.8%
Rand - Pound
22.43
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
19.70
+0.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.18
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.14
+0.2%
Platinum
963.38
-0.4%
Palladium
1,422.71
+1.2%
Gold
1,971.87
+0.8%
Silver
23.27
+0.8%
Brent Crude
78.12
+4.0%
Top 40
70,445
+1.0%
All Share
76,047
+1.0%
Resource 10
66,460
+2.4%
Industrial 25
102,327
+0.1%
Financial 15
15,628
+1.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE