SENIOR officials in the Ministry of Labour have been accused of enabling an ongoing leadership dispute within the National Employment Council (NEC) for the Medical and Allied Industry, despite a Supreme Court ruling confirming the legitimate leadership of the workers' union.

The NEC Medical was established in 2012 through a partnership between the Medical Professions and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (MPAWUZ) and the Medical and Allied Employers Association (MEAZ). However, a legal battle over control of the union culminated in a Supreme Court judgment on February 6, 2025, recognising Tecla Barangwe as the rightful leader of MPAWUZ.

Despite this ruling, ministry officials have reportedly failed to enforce the court's decision. Correspondence seen by NewZimbabwe.com shows that on 19 June 2025, acting registrar M.T. Maphaka wrote to NEC Medical, criticising its refusal to comply.

NEC Medical leadership had argued that Barangwe could not be reinstated because the 2025 accreditation process had lapsed. The Labour ministry dismissed this reasoning as inadequate, noting that the council had failed to provide any supporting evidence.

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"The authority of the Supreme Court judgment, which explicitly recognises Ms Barangwe as the rightful leader of MPAWUZ, cannot be diminished. The NEC is hereby directed to ensure that the legitimate leadership of MPAWUZ is recognised and accorded due representation," Maphaka stated in the letter.

Despite these instructions, insiders allege that two senior ministry officials are protecting the current NEC Medical leadership.

"They prefer the current team and are merely issuing empty warnings while maintaining the status quo," one source claimed.

When contacted for comment, Labour Ministry Permanent Secretary Simon Masanga declined to address the allegations directly and referred questions to the Director of Labour, Clemence Vusani, who did not respond to calls or messages.