HARARE — Health minister Douglas Mombeshora on Monday appealed to striking nurses to suspend their job action on the first day of a three-day walkout over pay.
Nurses walked out at hospitals across the country, accusing the government of paying lip service to salary demands. They earn an average of US$290 and ZiG5,000 per month, and say the ZiG1,500 added to their wages in a review that came into effect this month is far too little – particularly after recent fuel price increases pushed up the cost of transport and basic services.
Addressing a news conference in Harare, Mombeshora acknowledged disruptions caused by the strike and said government had moved quickly to respond.
“An extraordinary meeting has been convened between the Health Apex panel and the Health Services Commission,” he said. “Processes are currently underway to review the concerns in a structured and responsible manner, guided by the need to balance the delivery of critical health services with the welfare of health workers.”
The minister appealed to nurses to stand down.
“The ministry therefore appeals to health workers who have withdrawn their services to suspend the industrial action and allow space for constructive dialogue and orderly engagement, in the best interests of patients and the nation at large,” he said.
At Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare, a nurses’ spokesman said the strike was a last resort after years of fruitless engagement with the employer.
“Since time immemorial we have tried to engage the employer in terms of salaries and remuneration issues but these have not been addressed,” he said. “This is a measure of last resort. We thought the employer was going to do something — honestly, a strike is nasty, it’s something we don’t want to resort to, but the nurses are refusing to work.”
Hospital services in major urban centres were already affected on day one, with reduced staffing and delays reported in critical departments.
When nurses gave notice of the action, Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Enock Dongo said the March 2026 pay review had delivered increases so meagre they amounted to “a mere token that cannot be taken seriously.”
ZINA said the review was “wholly inadequate” and showed that “the employer has not and, in fact, does not intend to meet the expectations of its employees.”
The strike comes as Zimbabwe’s health sector grapples with persistent staff shortages, strained resources and a steady exodus of skilled workers seeking better opportunities abroad.
The post Health minister Mombeshora pleads with striking nurses to return to work appeared first on Zimbabwe News Now.