Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro and his wife Veronica Nyatsuro run the Willows Medical Centre in Nottingham[/caption]
Here is a letter we are sending to the Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group of the National Health Service:
Dear Commissioning Group
We wish to inform you of the lawless attempt being made by a Nottingham GP to seize a farm in Zimbabwe.
Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro of the Willows Medical Centre in Church Street, Carlton, and his wife Veronica, apparently the practice manager, visited the farm near Harare last month and ordered out the owner Philip Rankin. Dr Nyatsuro claimed that the Zimbabwean authorities had told him he could have the farm, even though he had been resident in England for the past 13 years. (Dr Nyatsuro is reported to be related to President Mugabe’s wife Grace.) See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11930068/British-doctor-with-links-to-Robert- -seizes-white-farm.html.
Mr Rankin has since then been besieged in his farmhouse, threatening the ruin of his tobacco crop worth up to £240,000. He obtained a High Court order on 12th October banning the invaders from the property but the following day Mrs Nyatsuro was back with a busload of reinforcements, in defiance of the High Court.
Mr Rankin bought the farm after Independence with the consent of the Mugabe authorities but since then they have encouraged the takeover of white-owned farms without compensation. This has led to the collapse of agriculture and growing poverty. The UK and the US have recently pledged £30 million in new food relief but this will still leave widespread hunger.
The Zimbabwe Vigil urges the Commissioning Group to investigate this matter and take appropriate action. We understand that Dr Nyatsuro came to the UK in 2003 when the farm seizures were at their height and has become a British citizen.
We are sending copies of this to the General Medical Council and the Department of Health as well as the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
When the Vigil sends a copy of this letter to the Home Office we will also tell them that we wish to withdraw our support for the asylum application of one individual. We will explain that since our support letter was written two years ago it has become clear that this person does not share our aims.
Other points
·      The letter about Dr Nyatsuro was approved at a meeting of the Zimbabwe Action Forum held after the Vigil. Speakers expressed disgust at his hypocrisy and wondered what his patients thought of his racism. It was decided that we would give them a chance to have their say by holding a demonstration at his clinic. One suggestion was that the doctor should be asked what his attitude would be if his clinic was seized by an ‘indigenous’ British person connected to the governing Conservative party at a day’s notice without compensation (he would be allowed to take his stethoscope away with him). Details of the demonstration will follow in the next few days.
·      Thanks to Edna Mdoka and Fungayi Mabhunu who came early to help set up. Thanks also to the ROHR Reading branch which held its meeting ahead of the Vigil at a venue near to the Embassy so they could support us today. Shylette Chipangura and Deborah Harry of the Reading branch brought delicious food which was sold to fundraise for ROHR.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.
FOR THE RECORD: 34 signed the register.
Post published in: Featured