Zimbabwe govt racks US$3m from nurses, blocks their diaspora dreams

The government is facing sharp criticism for withholding crucial verification letters from thousands of Zimbabwean nurses seeking to work abroad, despite collecting more than US$3.6 million from health professionals for processing the documents.

Verification letters- official certificates of good standing and confirmation issued by the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ)- are essential for nurses applying for international jobs. These documents verify that a nurse has completed their training and is in good professional standing.

According to the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), over 6,000 nurses have applied for verification letters after paying the mandatory US$300 fee each, amounting to millions of dollars paid into the system.

In a recent session of the Senate, Senator Sengezo Tshabangu questioned Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Timios Kwidini on the prolonged delay in issuing the letters despite the funds being collected.

"Why has it taken so long for the verification certificates to be released?" Tshabangu asked.
"Is there an alternative to have these verification certificates processed retrospectively to facilitate nurses employed abroad?"

Deputy Minister Kwidini admitted that the government has been withholding the letters, stating that the Ministry had not yet authorized the NCZ to process the verifications.

He claimed that some refunds had been made to nurses whose letters were not processed, a claim which ZINA president Enock Dongo strongly rejected as false.

"There are thousands of nurses who have been duped," Dongo said.
"Why collect that amount knowing that they don't want to process the verification letters? They must be given these letters without conditions."

Kwidini also said that the ministry had started processing verification letters for nurses already working abroad but did not clarify when the backlog would be cleared.

The delay and alleged mishandling have sparked outrage among health professionals amid a worsening brain drain in Zimbabwe's healthcare sector. Large numbers of nurses, doctors, and other medical workers continue to emigrate, primarily to countries such as Canada, Australia, and the UK, driven by low salaries, poor working conditions, and political instability.

Dongo urged the government to address the root causes of the health sector crisis to stem the ongoing exodus.

"Let's address fundamental issues why people want to migrate to other countries," he said.
"The issue of salaries has to be addressed; working conditions have to be improved as well."

Observers note that the government has introduced stricter measures in recent years to limit health professionals from working abroad, but the sector continues to suffer from severe staff shortages and declining care quality.

The ongoing withholding of verification letters threatens to worsen the situation by obstructing nurses' ability to seek employment opportunities overseas, where many hope for better prospects.