By Dorrothy Moyo| Vice president Cosntantino Chiwenga has been sued by nurses who say he threatened violence o them.

They wrote in their court application on Friday.

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association said, “On April 17, 2018, we met with the respondents (Health Services Board, Health and Child Care minister Parirenyatwa, and Chiwenga) at the third respondent’s (Chiwenga) offices. Instead of engaging us, the third respondent threatened the leadership of the first applicant (Zina) with violence and ejected the first applicant’s president and secretary-general from the meeting. . . In terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the applicants have the right to be heard prior to an administrative decision affecting them being made…the third respondent is not the applicant’s employer. He is not party to the employment relationship between the applicants and the first respondent. He does not have the power at law to hire or fire nurses.”

Last week, Masvingo Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Amadeus Shamhu told a local community radio station the Ministry was in the process of recruiting new nurses to replace the fired ones.

“Those who took part in the industrial action were relieved of their duties.

We are now taking on board new nurses and I can say the response is overwhelming.

Some of the dismissed nurses are also coming back to apologise but it is too late to do so,” said Shamu.