Harare – Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora has called on striking nurses to return to work, urging a suspension of industrial action to allow for what he described as “constructive dialogue” with authorities.

HARARE — Tensions in Zimbabwe's public health sector reached a boiling point yesterday, Tuesday, 14 April 2026, as nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals staged a localized protest over "starvation wages" and deteriorating working conditions.

The government, through presidency spokesman George Charamba, has urged "patience," promising that "good tidings" are coming. However, for nurses who have seen their colleagues arrested in Marondera and Sally Mugabe Hospital over the last month, the time for patience has clearly expired.

Zimbabwe’s public health sector is bracing for disruption after nurses announced a nationwide strike from 15 to 17 April 2026, citing low salaries, poor working conditions, and lack of transparency in payroll systems. The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) formally notified the Health Service Commission (HSC) of the planned industrial action in a letter dated 26 March.