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Daggers drawn against Nurses Council of Zimbabwe
3 hrs ago | Views
Relations between the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe (NCZ) and the Harare Institute of Public Health (HIPH) have soured after the NCZ publicly disavowed HIPH's nursing assistants training programmes, sparking threats of legal action from the institute.
The NCZ issued a notice stating it has no "regulatory connection with the HIPH regarding the training of nurses," a declaration that HIPH says has caused confusion and reputational damage.
In response, HIPH's legal representatives, led by prominent lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, demanded a retraction and public apology within 24 hours, warning that failure to comply would result in a defamation lawsuit.
Madhuku's letter, dated July 24, accused the NCZ of making "one of the worst forms of defamation in Zimbabwe," stating that the council's statement was malicious and harmed HIPH's reputation.
"Your statement is not protected by the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Section 61 of the Constitution because it constitutes malicious injury to my client's reputation," Madhuku wrote.
He emphasized that the Constitution excludes protection for speech that maliciously injures a person or institution's dignity or reputation, noting that HIPH's standing in society has been unfairly diminished.
HIPH assistant registrar Retlaw Matorwa affirmed the legitimacy of their nursing assistants programme, clarifying that it is approved and examined by the Higher Examination Council under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.
"The HIPH has suffered significant reputational damage due to the misleading and harmful statement published by the NCZ," Matorwa said.
"This false implication that HIPH is fraudulently involved in nursing education has unjustly tarnished our institution's good name."
Matorwa called on the NCZ to immediately correct the narrative and help restore HIPH's reputation.
Attempts to reach the NCZ for comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within Zimbabwe's healthcare training sector and raises questions about regulatory oversight and institutional accountability.
The NCZ issued a notice stating it has no "regulatory connection with the HIPH regarding the training of nurses," a declaration that HIPH says has caused confusion and reputational damage.
In response, HIPH's legal representatives, led by prominent lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, demanded a retraction and public apology within 24 hours, warning that failure to comply would result in a defamation lawsuit.
Madhuku's letter, dated July 24, accused the NCZ of making "one of the worst forms of defamation in Zimbabwe," stating that the council's statement was malicious and harmed HIPH's reputation.
"Your statement is not protected by the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Section 61 of the Constitution because it constitutes malicious injury to my client's reputation," Madhuku wrote.
He emphasized that the Constitution excludes protection for speech that maliciously injures a person or institution's dignity or reputation, noting that HIPH's standing in society has been unfairly diminished.
"The HIPH has suffered significant reputational damage due to the misleading and harmful statement published by the NCZ," Matorwa said.
"This false implication that HIPH is fraudulently involved in nursing education has unjustly tarnished our institution's good name."
Matorwa called on the NCZ to immediately correct the narrative and help restore HIPH's reputation.
Attempts to reach the NCZ for comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within Zimbabwe's healthcare training sector and raises questions about regulatory oversight and institutional accountability.
Source - NewsDay
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