HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Officials of the Salvation Army in Zimbabwe say they have given a Canadian doctor 48 hours to leave the southern African nation after he was fired from a mission hospital.
Vinece Chigariro, head of the church group in Zimbabwe, said Sunday the doctor's departure was changed from Sept. 1 after violent disturbances at the medical facility Thursday by villagers demanding his reinstatement.
Dr Paul Thistle, chief medical officer at the Howard hospital about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Harare, said the order was "not a legal decision" by Zimbabwean immigration or police authorities. After 16 years at the mission, Thistle clashed with church leaders over fundraising for the facility and local aid projects.
Twelve people were arrested after Thursday's unrest and eight nurses were held for questioning on allegations of incitement to violence.
