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Statement on deportation of COSATU delegation
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
October 27, 2004

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) strongly condemns the insensitive and hideous decision by the government of Zimbabwe to deport a 12-member delegation from the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on 26 October 2004, who were in a fact finding mission.

Cosatu has not been to Zimbabwe for many years and this culminated on the invitation by ZCTU for them to familiarize with the ZCTU operations as well as the status quo of the country. This arrangement was supposed to reciprocal.

The ZCTU however does not despair because what happened on this fateful day to our colleagues is what is happening to the ZCTU in Zimbabwe almost a daily basis.

The government is urged to avoid making hasty and dangerous decisions that might in the long run be diplomatic blunders which will further isolate the country.

It is also the inhuman manner in which our colleagues from COSATU were treated which shows the callousness of the government. The delegation was hundled out of the dining room while having lunch and left without eating and they were also denied access to food at the airport and had to be driven to Beitbridge during the whole night and they could not even sleep. Even the Apartheid regime in their country could not treat them this way.

The ZCTU also takes exception of the statement from the Ministry of Information and Publicity which in all respect is very paranoid and devoid of the truth. For government to claim that ZCTU and COSATU are agents of the West is an unreasonable as trying top bar the COSATU delegation from coming to Zimbabwe. The statement also claims that there were some dubious elements in the delegation which of course is surprising and stupid as all the visiting South Africans were bonafide leaders of their Trade Unions.

The assertion by the obsure Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) is as absurd as the Trade Union itself. How naïve they are!

It should be noted that, sovereignty should not be mistaken for autocracy.

The ZCTU is very angered by this incident but would also like our South African counterparts to know that Zimbabweans are peace loving and this heinous act by the government is peculiar to a paranoid few who believe that quaranting workers and citizens of Zimbabwe into socio-economic and political seclusion will harness their hold on power.

Lovemore Matombo
ZCTU President

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