Milton Zindoga was arrested along with seven fellow nurses and 12 residents in the Chiweshe area last August, after their protest outside the hospital turned violent. The demonstration had been organised by residents to voice their anger over the forced removal of Dr. Paul Thistle, who was dismissed from the hospital after raising concerns about the misuse of funds by the Salvation Army in Zimbabwe.
The arrested group endured a lengthy trial process, but Zindoga was the only one convicted for allegedly ‘inciting violence’. He was sentenced earlier this year to two years behind bars. But last week a High Court granted him bail, after a residents association fought to file an appeal against his sentence.
Dr. Thistle was hounded out of his position last year and ordered to leave the country after questioning how donor funding was being used by the Salvation Army leadership. He refused to leave Zimbabwe, his home for over 16 years, and found himself being dismissed from the church. The Salvation Army meanwhile has insisted his dismissal was a standard ‘reassignment’ and have refused to make any further comment about Dr. Thistle’s claims.
The Canadian born doctor has now moved to the Evangelical Church of the Zimbabwe-run Karanda Mission Hospital in Mt Darwin. The Howard Hospital meanwhile is facing collapse, with no chief surgeon, patients being transferred to other facilities and critical funding drying up. – SW Radio Africa
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