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ZCTU protests are curtain raiser for more action
Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
September 18, 2006

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news180906/zctu180906.htm

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Pro democracy groups in Zimbabwe have maintained they will continue with their protests for change and that recent attempts by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to embark on mass protests was just a curtain raiser for more action in the country.

In separate interviews, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), The Zimbabwe National Student Union (ZINASU), Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) said Zimbabwe will see more spontaneous action by the individual groups working in a non violent way.

Although the groups could not elaborate on dates it's reported that the demonstrations will continue this week.

NCA chairperson Dr Lovemore Madhuku confirmed that his pressure group would be embarking on some form of protest but would not be drawn to elaborate on the nature or date, for strategic purposes.

ZINASU coordinator Washington Katema also confirmed that plans for nationwide protests by the students were underway.

CHRA Chairperson Mike Davies said the situation is getting so bad that it is affecting everybody, irrespective of their political persuasion. "So we see a broader protest developing which includes co-relating around residents issues, or gender, education or health." He said that because of the repressive system in the country localized protests won't change the regime which continues to use violence against the people. But he said progressive forces need to seek a diversity of tactics to respond.

He added; "We at CHRA have exhausted all other avenues to try and get the regime to address the crisis here in Harare. We have tried petitions, we have tried legal action and basically this has prepared the way for us for civil disobedience."

But Davies said his group will not engage in centralized protests saying the Mugabe regime will respond with the type of force that was seen last week.

Scores of people, including labour leaders, were arrested and brutalised while attempting to participate in ZCTU led demonstrations for a better standard of living last Wednesday. The civic leader said; "We are under no illusions about the nature of this regime and their readiness to unleash violence upon the citizens of this country."

CHRA said it will continue with the neighborhood organized sewage and rubbish dumping protest.

Commenting on what appeared to be the lack of participation by the general work force in the recent ZCTU action Davies said the primary response of Zimbabweans to the crisis is to seek personal coping strategies.

The civic leader pointed out that; "They are not looking for social responses to what is essentially a social crisis and they have lost faith in social mechanisms as a route to address their problems. So it is very difficult to mobilise people because we can't demonstrate that our tactics will look to any outcome other than getting cracked around the head and spending a couple of days in jail."

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum has called for the immediate prosecution of police and soldiers who brutalized the labour, civic and opposition leaders who were arrested in connection with last week's protests.

Dr Reginald Matchaba Hove of the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights, one of the medical doctors who saw some of the victims at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare , described the severe injuries and the torture of the arrested officials as "really terrible and terribly brutal."

He said even though some of the victims showed serious injuries and could not walk or talk they arrived at the hospital in handcuffs.

All those arrested in Harare on Wednesday were granted bail after they appeared in court on Friday. But The ZCTU Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe who sustained a broken limbs and head injuries, had his court hearing held at the state Parirenyatwa hospital on Saturday. Like the other leaders, he is accused of inciting protesters to cause a breach of the peace. The labour leader's case was deferred to October 3rd.

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