Harare(New Ziana)-The High Court on Tuesday ordered the police to allow Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) acting president Dr Peter Magombeyi to travel to South Africa to seek urgent specialist medical treatment.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had on Monday prevented Dr Magombeyi from travelling to South Africa to access health care services that are not locally available after deploying some details at the entrance of a local clinic, where he is being observed by a medical team.
Dr Magombeyi was leading negotiations for a review of working conditions for doctors and other health personnel when he was reported missing with civil society organisations claiming that he had been abducted by state security agents.
But the government maintained that its hands were clean, and activated security agencies to search for the missing doctor as it pointed to a third hand bent on soiling is image as it pursued measures to return the country to the family of nations following years of isolation.
Dr Magombeyi resurfaced in Nyabira about 40 kilometres from Harare five days later although information on where he had been and what had happened to him since his alleged abduction has been scarce.
In court, lawyers for Dr Magombeyi argued that preliminary medical assessments carried out on him showed possible physical harm and psychological trauma hence the need for him to seek medical care in neighbouring South Africa.
Justice Happias Zhou granted an application filed by Dr Magombeyi’s father, Kingstone Magombeyi, who in his court petition, protested against the ZRP arguing that their actions were not lawful as his son was a victim of abduction who had not been placed under arrest and had also not been charged for committing any offence.
The court ordered the Officer-In-Charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (Law and Order Section) at Harare Central Police Station, ZRP Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema not to directly or indirectly prevent Dr Magombeyi from leaving Zimbabwe for the purposes of accessing medical services in South Africa.
New Ziana
