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COSATU demands release of Zimbabwe labour leader
ZimOnline
August 17, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/headdetail.asp?ID=12680

JOHANNESBURG – The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on Wednesday demanded the immediate release of Zimbabwe labour leader Wellington Chibebe who was arrested in Harare last Tuesday.

Chibebe, who is the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), was detained by the police on Tuesday. He is facing charges of assaulting a police officer who was manning a roadblock in Harare.

Yesetrday, COSATU spokesman, Patrick Craven, demanded the immediate release of Chibebe saying his arrest "was barbaric" and uncalled for.

"We are calling for Chibebe's immediate release. We condemn his arrest last Tuesday in the strongest terms. We are equally concerned with the worsening human rights situation in Zimbabwe," said Craven.

Trouble for Chibebe began after the Zimbabwe labour leader, who was traveling with his family from his rural home in Masvingo, told police officers manning a cash search and seizure operation in Harare that what they were doing was illegal.

"The police did not take kindly to Chibebe's words. One of the police officers slapped Chibebe accusing him of attempting to frustrate the police operation. All this was done in front of Chibebe's family," said ZCTU spokesman, Mlamleli Sibanda.

Chibebe was still being detained at Waterfalls police station in Harare last night. - ZimOnline

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