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Stop trying to humiliate opposition leaders
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
June 13, 2003

The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the Zimbabwe Government's continued arrest and re-arrest of leaders of the opposition MDC. This attempt to humiliate Morgan Tsvangirai other MDC leaders will solve nothing.

Instead we urge the government to treat the opposition as partners in negotiations to reach a settlement of the country's severe political and economic crisis.

The COSATU Central Executive Committee on 29 May 2003 resolved to support the call by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) for an interim government and the drafting of a new constitution on the basis of which fresh elections should be conducted. It further resolved to support the call by the international community for free political activity, the repeal of the draconian laws that limit freedom of speech and free political activity and the restoration of the rule of law.

The Zimbabwe government should learn from the history of apartheid South Africa, where the white minority government repeatedly used arrests, trials, torture and the abuse of human rights to remain in power, but were forced in the end to reach a negotiated settlement with the ANC and its allies.

The MDC, with their substantial electoral support, will have to play a role in any negotiations on a settlement in Zimbabwe, and we therefore urge the government to swallow their pride, release all political prisoners and open up talks with all parties and civil society organisations, as proposed by the ZCTU.

We welcome the statement by President Thabo Mbeki at the World Economic Forum that membership of the African Union will bind governments to a code of good governance. We urge him to bring pressure to bear on the government of Zimbabwe to apply the principles of good governance in that country and end the abuse of human rights.

Patrick Craven Acting COSATU Spokesperson
082-821-7456, 339-4911

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