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THERE is a general feeling of despair when one loses their job especially in an African set up where such a development could affect the people beyond one’s immediate family.

While it is natural to feel pity for the nurses who have lost their jobs after termination by the Government, there is a developing and worrying trend of politically motivated job actions disguised as strikes to highlight grievances.

The nurses’ case is an example of such political mischief that after moves by the Government to attend to their plight, the nurses continued with their strike in a bid to destabilise the health sector.

This becomes curious especially when news start spreading that some within these workers’ organisations have political ambitions.

One therefore cannot rule out that this is calculated conspiracy meant to discredit the Government ahead of the general elections due in a few months’ time.

It is important for nurses and all workers under different unions to be careful not to be used to pursue the selfish agenda of a few people at the expense of their interests and those of their families.

The health sector is one of the most critical sectors and any attempts to politick or hold the Government to ransom while risking the lives of Zimbabweans cannot be tolerated.

Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) correctly read the mischief behind the nurses’ strike by saying it is politically motivated.

“Against a background of a series of meetings involving Government, the Health Services Board and the Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association (Zina), which were meant to resolve the industrial action by nursing staff in the public health sector and the subsequent decision by Government to accede to the demands made by the striking nurses, Government regrets to note that the industrial action in this essential service sector has persisted,” said VP Chiwenga announcing the immediate termination of employment for the striking nurses.

“What makes the whole action (by nurses) both deplorable and reprehensible is the fact that as agreed yesterday, Government released and transferred a sum of $17 114 446 into the account of the Ministry of Health and Child Care for on-payment to the striking nurses.

“While this demonstrated good faith on the part of Government, the prompt transfers which have been effected against demonstrable economic challenges facing our nation has not, quite surprisingly, persuaded the striking nurses to go back to their work stations in the interest of saving lives and helping hapless patients placed under their care.”

VP Chiwenga said Government “now regards this lack of remorse as politically motivated” and “as going beyond concerns of conditions of service and worker welfare”.

“Accordingly, Government has decided, in the interest of patients and of saving lives, to discharge all the striking nurses with immediate effect,” he said.
“Further, Government has instructed the Health Services Board to speedily engage, as appropriate, all unemployed, but trained nurses in the country. It has also authorised the board to recall retired nursing staff into service.”

The funds originally released to meet the demands of the striking nurses will now be re-directed and allocated towards meeting the costs of effecting the new directive and arrangement, which takes immediate effect.

“In the meantime, Government pays tribute to all nurses who have loyally remained at work and to those from the ranks of the striking nurses who have heeded its call for them to return to work,” said VP Chiwenga.

“Their commitment to duty and patients, both pointing to a deep regard for life as required by their professional oath, is noted and much appreciated.”

That Zimbabwe has been facing economic challenges for the past 18 years is a fact known to everyone.

However, since the ushering in of  the new dispensation under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Government has made great efforts towards economic turnaround.

The problems that the country faced in the last 18 years cannot be solved within four months of President Mnangagwa’s reign but will take some time but already great signs of a turnaround are showing.

The President is also on record calling for Zimbabweans to be patient as his administration does all it can to get the country to its former glory days.

What the country does not need now is organised chaos by enemies of the State with the goal of taking us back to the days of crisis.

It is a well known fact that some opposition parties like the MDC-T have thrived on chaos as they do not have any ideology or plan to take this country forward.

Entertaining such political malcontents has partly contributed to the problems Zimbabwe has faced in the past 18 years and it will be sad if people do not learn from the past.

The Government has shown great commitment towards the revival of Zimbabwe and it is the duty of every patriotic Zimbabwean to support its efforts and not throw spanners in the works.