High Court Orders Release of 75-Year-Old Grandmother Held by Private Hospital Over Unpaid Bill

By Staff Reporter

A High Court judge has intervened in a shocking case where a 75-year-old grandmother was effectively held captive by a private hospital in Mutare over an unpaid medical bill.

Mutare High Court Judge **Justice Sijabuliso Siziba** issued an emergency order for the immediate release of **Marita Manyore**, who had been detained at Exclusive Medcare Hospital for nearly two weeks. The court also instructed the hospital to allow her family full access.

The case came to light after Manyore’s son, **Witness Mavambire**, filed an urgent application on February 28, 2026, arguing that his mother’s constitutional rights were being violated.

### Treated, Then Trapped

Manyore had been admitted to Exclusive Medcare Hospital on February 10 under the care of a specialist physician. By February 15, the family, concerned about mounting costs, requested her discharge. Doctors confirmed that Manyore was medically fit to leave and could continue care at home.

However, hospital management refused to release her, demanding full payment of the bill, which had already reached **US$1,070 (≈R19,500)**. The family attempted to negotiate, offering US$200 upfront and proposing to pay the remainder in two monthly installments of US$500 each, but the hospital rejected the offer.

### Bill Escalates While Grandmother Remains Trapped

Over the following days, the family tried again, offering US$500 immediately, only to be informed that “hotel costs” had continued to accrue. By February 26, the bill had soared to **US$2,200 (≈R40,000)**, with hospital directors reportedly stating that the partial payment was insufficient motivation to release Manyore.

Desperate, the family paid US$500 and engaged **Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)**, who sent a stern letter demanding her immediate release and labeling her detention “illegal and unethical.”

“The continued detention of the elderly and vulnerable Manyore, who no longer required treatment, is unlawful and prevents her from leaving the hospital,” argued lawyers **Peggy Tavagadza** and **Tatenda Sigauke**.

Constitutional Rights vs. Contractual Debt

The court documents emphasized that Manyore appreciated the medical care she had received but stressed that contractual obligations cannot justify violating her fundamental rights.



This ruling is being hailed as a landmark defense of patient rights in Zimbabwe, highlighting the tension between medical debts and constitutional protections for the elderly and vulnerable.