Specific Cases Ÿ Unions representing nurses and doctors embarked on industrial action during the year following breakdown of discussions with their employer the Health Professions Board. Junior doctors at public hospitals went on a month-long crippling strike in March demanding better pay and working conditions. In mid-April the government summarily dismissed 16,000 nurses after they went on strike for better working conditions a day after junior doctors ended their strike. The nurses challenged the dismissal in court, but withdrew the challenge following engagements with their employer. Ÿ Beginning in December, doctors were on strike for over 40 days. Civil society organisations issued a statement calling upon the government to urgently address the dire situation facing hospitals as a result of the strike by doctors. As a solution, government sought to engage inexperienced recent graduates from medical schools with limited practical exposure to take over from the striking doctors, a dangerous and risky manoeuvre that would have put the lives of innocent patients at risk. Fortunately, this did not happen. The impasse resulted in loss of life and suffering. At some referral hospitals, some wards were closed due to lack of adequate manpower as a result of the strike. Emergency services were also no longer readily accessible at some hospitals. Ÿ The country experienced a devastating cholera outbreak. By October, more than 6,000 cases were reported and an estimated 50 deaths.12 The outbreak was declared a national crisis by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. There were subsequent on and off scares in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Epworth and some districts across the country. Children playing with uncollected garbage risk to have diseases vending. There were running battles between the Municipal Police and the and the ZRP in major cities, especially in Harare, as the police were trying to get vendors off the streets. Several vendors were arrested, and had their wares confiscated. Vendors were often arrested, fined and released on numerous occasions throughout the year. Police action in seeking to clear the CBD of vendors also targeted commuter transport operators. On 22 February the conduct Labour Rights Government continued to frown upon collective job action. This is evidence by its reaction to the doctors’ and nurses strikes mentioned above. The ZCTU was at the receiving end of arrests following their threats to engage in protests across the country over the 2% tax on electronic transactions imposed by the Minister of Finance in October. By far the biggest informal employment sector in the country was in 12. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/zimbabwe/overview 23 STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ZIMBABWE 2018