No solution to end Mutare nurses strike

The strike by Mutare City Council nurses over non-payment of salaries for the past 18 months continues unabated with no solution in sight.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI The strike by 52 nurses started last Friday and most residents have been finding it difficult to get medical attention at council clinics, where they were being sent away.

Nurses, who spoke to NewsDay, yesterday vowed they would not return to work until council has paid their dues.

“We gave council a lot of time to address the situation, but they are folding their hands. We will not go back to work until they have paid us,’’ one of the striking nurses said.

Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare said council was hopeful a solution would be found to end the deadlock with the nurses soon. “They are not back at work, but we are still negotiating with them,’’ he said.

The United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers’ Trust (UMRT) said the strike was a cause for concern.

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“We fear for our health because there are pregnant women who need help periodically, but there is no one to attend to them,” UMRT official, Edson Dube said.

“I think it’s a matter of financial mismanagement by Mutare City Council. Council bosses gobble more than $200 000 monthly on their salaries. If the hefty salaries are reduced, council can manage to pay the nurses.’’

A recent government audit report exposed massive corruption involving the council’s top management, forcing town clerk Obert Muzawazi to resign.