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Disruption of PTUZ World Teachers' Day function in Masvingo
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)
October 10, 2006

On Friday 6th October 2006, the Progressive Teachers' Union (PTUZ) was scheduled to hold World Teachers Day Celebrations in Masvingo. We had booked the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) hail for our meeting with teachers. The same premises hold our Masvingo Provincial Office.

It is unfortunate that we have to report that these celebrations never took place. In an act of what can only be described as madness, Masvingo police cordoned off Hebert Chitepo Street in an attempt to prevent teachers from attending the meeting. Threats were made to the Secretary General's life by the Officer who was commanding the operation. He told the Secretary General that, 'I WILL SHHOT YOU AND MAKE YOU DISAPPEAR'. Efforts to report this threat were dismissed by the police manning the Charge Office who referred us to Supt Mbedzi who could not be located.

The CIO, Law and Order and PISI officers who were in attendance demanded to interview the leadership. After talking to the union's President they left and came back with reinforcements. They arrested our entire Management Committee at 0945 hours. We were driven in an open truck to Masvingo Central Police Station. We were then detained for the next four hours in a small office at the station. In the meantime we were called into another office for questioning.

Whilst we were detained the police threatened to beat up those teachers who were brave enough to wait for us at the venue. The Management Committee was released at 1425. By this time most of the teachers had left the venue, our quest speaker had returned to his offices. The riot police were standing in front of the entrance of our meeting venue. It was obvious that they would disrupt any attempt by us to conduct a meeting with those teachers who had stayed. The whole programme had been completely disrupted. It was only left for us to cancel the function.

We would like to register our dismay at the way the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) continues to disrupt our activities. It is our belief that on this occasion the ZRP connived with our rivals to ensure that our meeting did not go ahead as planned. PTUZ has never been and will never be an appendage of another union. We are a registered and independent organization. The police should not force us to be part of our rivals activities as they wanted to do in Masvingo. According to the ZRP in Masvingo the PTUZ was supposed to attend and be addressed by ZIMTA. They also insisted that we should join the ZFTU instead of the ZCTU if we want to avoid disruptions in future.

We are strongly considering taking legal action against Masvingo Police for the disruption of our celebrations in Masvingo. The disruption left some of our members wondering why a legally registered organization should have to suffer such treatment from the police. There is potential for loss of membership and greater difficulty in recruitment of new members after this barbaric and unwarranted police action.

Raymond Majongwe
Secretary General

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