Should I return to Zimbabwe?

I have followed the events back home with keen interest and hope. A new government has been unveiled and efforts seem to be underway to address the humanitarian challenges that Zimbabwe is facing particularly the cholera outbreak. I remember Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai saying that he would put incentives to attract medical professionals who have left the country in their thousands. As a medical laboratory scientist I instantly started weighing the option of packing my bags and returning, unfortunately it seems there isn’t much to convince me that going back to Zimbabwe would be the best decision.

There are many things that a professional has to consider before he or she decides to join or in this case rejoin an entity. When I left Zimbabwe there were circumstances that had driven me to leave my country of birth, have these changed? Let me examine them.

I left the government of Zimbabwe in November 2005. My salary then was about US$40. At that time it was enough to buy my groceries, transport me to work and nothing more. Indeed we were some of the highly paid civil servants then because despite the shortages of basic commodities one dollar could buy 2 litres of cooking oil.

When I look at the situation today, all civil servants were given $US100 as vouchers but 2 litres of cooking oil is about $4, which means that in 2005 I was actually getting more than which I would get if I decide to go back. Further to this; I am getting a lot more in my current employment. So, which would be better to stay or go. As for me; I might choose to go back because money is not everything but is there a guarantee that if I go back home I will not die a pauper?

The prime reason that drove me from the civil service was the unprofessional and political nature that it was taking. In October 2005 Dr Obadiah Moyo who was the CEO of Chitungwiza hospital tried to force the laboratory to concoct results so that we could corroborate his allegations of a dysentery outbreak simply because Mugabe wanted the then Mayor of Chitungwiza out. I understand Dr Obadiah Moyo is still the CEO of Chitungwiza hospital and I ask: will professionalism return if the health delivery system remains in the management of all these ZANU PF apologists and zealots?

I examine the behaviour and composition of the Health Professions Council in particular the Zimbabwe Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientist Council. This is a body that must regulate my profession and do so in a transparent and professional manner but how many bear the scars of its political nature. Imagine a body that charges registration fees that is thrice the salary the same government is giving to a scientist. Where do they think one would get such money? I fought a long and protracted battle to secure a certificate of good standing which sucked even the Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights all because I did not subscribe to its partisan behavior. The same people still occupy these offices; how will I work with them knowing fully their orientations and ruthlessness.

These are just my circumstances but some are common across the professions. So in as much as we are patriotic and feel for our people; it still remains suicidal to return to Zimbabwe unless of course some real reforms are done to the whole service delivery system. Will this happen? I wait.