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Resign, ZCTU bosses told
Patience Nyangove, The Herald
April 15, 2005

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=42573&pubdate=2005-04-15

Read the ZCTU response to this article

THE 19 disgruntled affiliates of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) yesterday demanded the immediate resignation of the umbrella labour body's executive.

They called on ZCTU president Mr Lovemore Matombo, his deputy Ms Lucia Matibenga, secretary-general Mr Wellington Chibebe and Ms Tabita Khumalo of the general council, to step down with immediate effect.

The four are accused of, among other things, meddling in partisan politics at the expense of the organisation's core business, and mismanagement and corruption which has plunged the labour body into administrative chaos.

In a statement yesterday, the spokesperson for the 19 ZCTU-affiliated unions, Mr Nicholas Mazarura, said they would not co-operate with the ZCTU leadership as presently constituted.

Co-operating with the ZCTU leadership under the current leadership, said Mr Mazarura, was tantamount to undermining the affiliates' quest to maintain the labour union as a democratic, united and independent institution for workers.

"The four no longer have a legitimate right to hold office unless and until they are cleared by the general council.

"The concerned affiliates demand that the four cease to direct affairs of the ZCTU forthwith, and pave the way for an interim leadership whose composition should be the deputies of the principal officers until a democratic process takes place to determine their future with ZCTU.

"It is, therefore, only proper and procedural that the four should never be involved in determining when, where and how the general council should meet. The concerned affiliates shall not accept any representation by the four at any local, regional and international fora, including the ILO (International Labour Organisation)," Mr Mazarura said.

He accused the ZCTU leadership of working in cahoots with some unscrupulous employers to hide basic commodities in order to create artificial shortages in the country.

"Concerned affiliates will make a co-ordinated effort to unearth the dirty hands of the ZCTU leadership in the ongoing artificial shortage of basic commodities on the market.

"There are serious acts of conspiracy between the ZCTU leadership and the employers who are hiding basic commodities in order to induce turmoil. The public can rest assured that the concerned affiliates will leave no stone unturned to unearth the diabolic, barbaric, unpatriotic and insensitive political manoeuvres by the culprits," he said.

Mr Mazarura added that the hoarding of basic commodities would eventually lead to retrenchments and company closures if left unchecked.

This, he said, would result in the suffering of workers in particular and people in general while the ZCTU leadership "is fully supplied and funded by their friends in big business, hence their deafening silence".

He also accused the ZCTU executive of having schemed to deflect workers' dissatisfaction with its failure to address fundamental and pressing workplace labour issues by laying the blame on Government policy and initiatives during the forthcoming May Day celebrations.

"The gang of four, without shame, wishes to pay lip service during the May Day celebrations by condemning the current low wages, the medical system and NSSA (National Social Security Authority) and yet, on the other hand, they are the ones who advocate for no dialogue with the Government of the day.

"The four hoped that there would be regime change in Zimbabwe, and, we wonder, what democratic values do they cherish? And for the next five years, what purpose will such a leadership serve?"

When contacted for comment, ZCTU president Mr Matombo said he did not recognise the affiliates and that they were irrelevant to the labour body.

"We do not know these affiliates. We are not worried about them because they are insignificant to us. We are not going to step down," he said, before referring the matter to his secretary-general Mr Chibebe.

Over the past few years, cracks have emerged between the umbrella body and its affiliates over alleged mismanagement, corruption and neglect of workers' interests.

Last week, the ZCTU leadership scurried out of a meeting when some officials from the general council physically attacked the four over alleged corruption and mismanagement.

With tempers flaring at the meeting held in Harare, the four had to flee from water glass-throwing disgruntled members.

Mr Chibebe himself was allegedly poked several times with a newspaper by Mr Langton Mugeji, a member of the labour body's general council.

This was after Mr Chibebe allegedly failed to give a satisfactory explanation as to who had sanctioned the salaries that Mr Matombo and Ms Matibenga were earning.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Chibebe were fruitless.

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