Zimbabwe police block doctors’ march to parliament

By John Cassim

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - Zimbabwean police on Wednesday blocked hundreds of doctors from marching to parliament in the capital Harare.

The doctors were protesting the alleged abduction of Dr. Peter Magombeyi, head of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA).

Anti-riot police wielding baton sticks and tear gas canisters created a human barricade, blocking the road that doctors intended to use from Parirenyatwa Hospital to parliament building.

According to Dr. Learnmore Shoti, chairman of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association in Parirenyatwa Hospital, doctors intended to submit a petition to parliament for the release of Magombeyi.

“We were marching to parliament to hand over a petition, but the police have blocked us saying we have to give them seven-day notice,” Shoti said.

Harry, Magoimbeyi’s father said: “We are traumatized as a family, we don’t even know whether our son is still alive or dead, we don’t know what is happening.

“However, we wish to thank all the doctors for the support and prayers.”

After Magombeyi went missing, all major hospitals throughout the country shut down in solidarity with the family.

This came at a time when Clement Nyaletsossi, a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, is in the country on a 10-day mission to investigate alleged human rights abuses.