HARARE – The embattled Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday night addressed the nation before his departure for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
He expressed his dismay on the industrial action by doctors over the alleged abduction of President of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, Dr Peter Magombeyi, the water supply situation in cities and spiraling consumer prices of basic commodities.
Addressing the nation on State media Mnangagwa said while he is happy that the staffer who had been reported missing had been found unharmed, he is disturbed by the growing number of politically motivated false abductions in the country which are calculated at putting the government in negative light.
He said such political trickery amounts to terrorism and will not make the country move forward.
“New measures might have to be formulated to deal with this new threat and to severely punish those responsible for such,” said Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa highlighted that Government was not impressed by the industrial action undertaken by medical staff as it led to loss of lives by innocent people.
He urged medical staff to resume work without any further delay and restore vital services at hospitals.
“The appropriate, professional response to reports of any missing persons should never take the form that endangers more lives, all of them innocent. Now is the time for our medical staff to retrieve their collective conscience and to restate their commitment oath that makes their profession sacred, he said.
He highlighted that government is looking at improving the working conditions of medical personnel and revamping the health delivery system.
Mnangagwa also expressed his concern at the deteriorating water supply situation in Harare and other cities across the country. He said the release of ZWL$37.3 million and another US$2.2 million must stabilize the water and sewer reticulation systems in the capital.
The embattled leader also castigated the business sector for randomly increasing the prices of basic commodities without reason.
“The whole situation becomes completely unjustified and untenable when only prices of basic commodities continue to escalate against static or even declining wages,” said President Mnangagwa.
He urged the business community to act in a manner consistent with the broader goal of economic recovery and sustainable long term macro-economic stability.
Mnangagwa alluded to the preliminary weather forecast in which the country is expecting normal to above normal rains in October, November and December and normal to below normal rainfall from January, February and March. He encouraged farmers to be guided and grow their crops within this forecast.
Mnangagwa is set to leave for the United States of America tonight where Zimbabwe will join other nations of the world at this year’s session of the United Nations General Assembly.
