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Update
on the situation in Zimbabwe after the 18-19 mass action
Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
March 28, 2003
The volatile
political situation in Zimbabwe continues to prevail. Innocent civilians
are being attacked, harassed and beaten by security agents indiscriminately
and a lot of people have been arrested and locked up in prisons
for flimsy reasons by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the National
Army.
The Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is very much concerned about this
wave of violence and lawlessness that has also affected its membership.
Although the ZCTU and a lot of other civic organizations have voiced
their concerns to the government it seems the government is only
bent on intensifying its retribution exercise on people who are
perceived to have taken part in the two day mass stayaway that was
organised by the opposition political party, Movement for Democratic
Change on 18 and 19 March 2003.
Zimbabwe has
now turned into a police state as the police and the army indiscriminately
harass members of the opposition, the Public and civic organizations
who are labeled as being anti government. After the stayaway and
leading to two parliamentary by elections in Kuwadzana and Highfields
suburbs in Harare, a lot of people have been beaten and the Police
are now imposing ‘curfews’ at night so that people do not gather
in a lot of places.
About more than
300 people have been arrested so far and have been accused of taking
part in a stayaway which the Security agents say was for overthrowing
the state in unconstitutional means.
The state is
also using some youths who were trained at the National Youth training
Centres to harass the public and also sniff out those people who
are thought to be in the opposition.
In one of the
incidents of Human an Trade Union Rights violations perpetrated
on Trade Unions is the case of the General Agriculture and Plantation
Workers Union (GAPWUZ) which represent workers on the farms and
is an affiliate of the ZCTU
Recently, GAPWUZ
offices in Chinhoyi were burnt down to ashes on the eve of the 19th
of March. All the furniture and records were destroyed and no one
was held responsible for the incident.
In a continued
effort to destabilize GAPWUZ’s operations the graduates of the National
Youth training services popularly known as the ‘Militia or the Black
Boots’ ransacked GAPWUZ’s Kwekwe Offices accusing the union of supporting
the opposition activities and some membership records were confiscated.
In Bindura the
militia have forced the GWAPUZ officers to close and have threatened
the officers and now the officer is hiding. The Militia and the
War vets have said that if the GAPWUZ want to operate in Mashonaland
Central they should employ them.
In Chipinge
the council has raised their rate from $5000 to $20 000 yet GAPWUZ
is subletting from someone. Unknown ZANU PF supporters broke into
the GAPWUZ offices in Norton while the Mvurwi offices was broken
into during the presence of a council security guard and all the
stationery and documents were stolen.
In another incident
Viola Shamu the GAPWUZ Child Labour coordinator had her husband
were kidnapped and severely assaulted and dumped in a bush and left
for dead. Her 11-year and 14 year old Children were also assaulted.
Viola is currently in hiding.
The GAPWUZ has
notified other partners about their ordeal.
In the continuing
harassment of Trade Union leaders, Mr. Shoko, the General Secretary
of the Zimbabwe Domestic and Allied Workers Union (ZIDAWU) was also
arrested on the aftermath of the stay away for allegedly forcing
people not to go to work. Other incidents include the arrest of
the ZCTU Chitungwiza district Chairman Mr. Acne Ngwarai for taking
part in the stayaway. Mr. Ngwarai and two others Chakupai Denga
and Albert Museswe were arrested and charged under the Miscellaneous
offences Act Chapter 9:15 on conduct likely to provoke the breach
of peace. They were made to pay admission of guilt fines of Z$3000
each before being released.
While the ZCTU
did not take part in calling for the two-day stayaway some of its
members were also arrested. One of the ZCTU staff members Peace
Muregi a Secretary in the legal department, was assaulted by a member
of the Zimbabwe National Army for carrying an envelope with ZCTU
written on it. Peace was only waiting for transport to go to work
when she was ordered by the soldier to go into a Police post at
the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation studios. The soldiers accused
her of distributing material about the stayaway while the envelope
she was carrying only contained information about the Tripartite
Negotiations among the ZCTU, Government and employers. They went
on to assault her and then released her without saying anything
more.
The Army continues
to beat and harass members of the public especially at night and
at nightspots even though people will just be socializing there
or going home from work.
Again in Torwood,
Kwekwe, members of the National army went on a rampage, beating
up people while sarcastically accusing them of not taking part in
the stayaway.
It has become
very difficult for members of the public and Civic organizations,
ZCTU included, to survive as the state machinery continues to intensify
its retribution exercise on people who by merely expressing their
discontent with the government are now perceived as enemies of the
state.
Visit the ZCTU
fact
sheet
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