Zimbabweans woke up to an unprecedented Christmas Day after government suspended 550 striking doctors, while those who remained at work withdrew their services. The bulk of those suspended are junior doctors, who make up the majority of doctors in the country - understood to be less than a thousand in total. According to a statement by the country’s Health Services Board (HSB), the doctors have effectively been blocked from going to hospitals or to perform any work-related duties for the next two weeks. The suspension was aided by a high court ruling which on Saturday declared the strike illegal. “The findings of the court, in terms of Section 107 of the Labour Act, are as follows: Having listened to both parties’ submissions, the court found that the collective job action embarked on by the respondents (Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association) and its members on December 1 2018 is unlawful,” the ruling read.

After two weeks government will decide whether to keep the doctors or ...

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