News / National
Zimbabwe nurse subjected to xenophobic attack in Swaziland
23 Feb 2011 at 06:59hrs | Views
A nurse at Good Shepherd Hospital allegedly suffered ill-treatment in the hands of a senior staff member after she was involved in an argument with her.
The nurse, who is of Zimbabwean origin, had an argument with a Sister Nurse stationed at the Out-Patient Department (OPD). It is said the nurse, Thenjiwe Mbembe, was carrying a certain document that needed to be signed by the other nurses. It is alleged the Sister Nurse forcefully took the document from Thenjiwe yet she had not signed it and the latter went after her asking for it.
A scuffle ensued and there was an exchange of heated words between the two, but according to witnesses the nurse never laid a hand on her superior.
"She (Senior Nurse) went to the Matrons office, where she claimed that she had been beaten by the nurse, yet they had only exchanged heated words," said the source.
Mbembe was called into the matrons' office, where it is alleged she was reprimanded and further subjected to verbal abuse and was told that she should go back to Zimbabwe instead of causing trouble.
They allegedly told her that since she had beaten her senior, which was a dismissible offence. She was further taken to the boardroom where she was subjected to further verbal abuse.
The nurse, who is of Zimbabwean origin, had an argument with a Sister Nurse stationed at the Out-Patient Department (OPD). It is said the nurse, Thenjiwe Mbembe, was carrying a certain document that needed to be signed by the other nurses. It is alleged the Sister Nurse forcefully took the document from Thenjiwe yet she had not signed it and the latter went after her asking for it.
A scuffle ensued and there was an exchange of heated words between the two, but according to witnesses the nurse never laid a hand on her superior.
"She (Senior Nurse) went to the Matrons office, where she claimed that she had been beaten by the nurse, yet they had only exchanged heated words," said the source.
Mbembe was called into the matrons' office, where it is alleged she was reprimanded and further subjected to verbal abuse and was told that she should go back to Zimbabwe instead of causing trouble.
They allegedly told her that since she had beaten her senior, which was a dismissible offence. She was further taken to the boardroom where she was subjected to further verbal abuse.
Decided"The matrons decided to side with the sister and ignored giving the nurse a chance to explain her side of the story, which we view as unfairness because they should have listened to the two and not take sides," alleged the source.
When called for comment a matron who answered the phone at the hospital first demanded to know who the source was and if the nurse was somehow involved before transferring the call to the Human Resource office.
The acting HR Busi Ntimba requested to be sent a questionnaire as she said she had to consult before she could say anything.
The nurse who suffered verbal abuse in the hands of her supervisors has claimed that she fell sick after the incident. Mbembe, when called, said she was traumatised by the whole incident such that her blood pressure went high and had been in and out of hospital.
She said after the incident they refused that she took some days off work yet she was sick such that she had to get treatment from the RFM Hospital.
"I am still waiting for the judgment on the matter, but feel I was unfairly treated because they even told me that I should go back to Zimbabwe. I was shocked that they still practice tribalism," she said.
She said she was hoping to get the final judgment, but was still shocked by such treatment from the people who should have been neutral in the whole issue.
When called for comment a matron who answered the phone at the hospital first demanded to know who the source was and if the nurse was somehow involved before transferring the call to the Human Resource office.
The acting HR Busi Ntimba requested to be sent a questionnaire as she said she had to consult before she could say anything.
The nurse who suffered verbal abuse in the hands of her supervisors has claimed that she fell sick after the incident. Mbembe, when called, said she was traumatised by the whole incident such that her blood pressure went high and had been in and out of hospital.
She said after the incident they refused that she took some days off work yet she was sick such that she had to get treatment from the RFM Hospital.
"I am still waiting for the judgment on the matter, but feel I was unfairly treated because they even told me that I should go back to Zimbabwe. I was shocked that they still practice tribalism," she said.
She said she was hoping to get the final judgment, but was still shocked by such treatment from the people who should have been neutral in the whole issue.
Source - Byo24News
