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ZCTU National Protest - Nov 18, 2003
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
November 17, 2003

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) informs you that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have threatened to quash the National Protest scheduled for Tuesday November 18 2003.

In a statement in the government controlled Herald Newspaper, The ZRP spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena is quoted as having said 'Any illegal demonstrations targeted at disturbing peace and stability in this country will be dealt with in terms of the law'. The police spokesman went on to term the protest an illegitimate demonstration even after the ZCTU had notified them of the protest.

The ZCTU as required by the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) had notified the Police about the protest and sees no valid reason for the Police to let the protest go ahead and views this as a blatant misinterpretation and contempt of the law by the Police.

The National Protest will go ahead as planned tomorrow and the ZCTU would like to urge all co - operating partners and sister organisations to emphatically represent to the government and particularly President Robert Mugabe to not to interfere with bonafide Trade Union work and let the workers of Zimbabwe express their feelings over the mess the economy is in.

The ZCTU requests the ICFTU to activate all its affiliates for action if any arrests of ZCTU activists are made during the protest. Affiliates of ICFTU are urged to hold demonstrations at all Zimbabwean Embassies in their countries denouncing the Police action. In the ZCTU demonstration on 8 October 165 Trade Unionists were arrested by Police country wide and some were severely assaulted.

The ZCTU is protesting on the High levels of Taxation, ever increasing cost of living and the violation of human and trade human rights and through this protest it is only urging the government to urgently address the economic melt down.

Wellington Chibebe ZCTU Secretary General

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