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ZCTU National Labour Protest - Sept 13, 2006 - Index of articles
Tortured
labour leader fails to address congress
ZimOnline
September 22, 2006
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=158
JOHANNESBURG
– Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) deputy president Lucia Matibenga
on Thursday failed to address a congress of South Africa’s COSATU
trade union due to severe pains from injuries sustained when she
and other labour leaders were tortured by the police.
Matibenga and several other ZCTU leaders and opposition activists
were severely assaulted and tortured by the police last week after
they attempted to stage demonstrations
in Harare over worsening economic conditions.
Matibenga, who
is also the chairperson of the women’s wing of the main faction
of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai,
was scheduled to brief the COSATU congress over their ordeal at
the hands of state security agents.
COSATU President
Willie Madisha told the congress that Matibenga could not address
the meeting yesterday as she was still in severe pain.
"Our colleague
from Zimbabwe arrived yesterday (Wednesday) but could not come forward
to present her speech because she was severely tortured by Mugabe’s
police. She could not sit as a result of the police brutality,"
said Madisha.
Earlier this
week, COSATU said it would formally respond to the brutal attack
of their colleagues in Zimbabwe.
COSATU, which
is part of South Africa’s ruling alliance together with the African
National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party, has
in the past been at the forefront in criticising President Robert
Mugabe’s human rights policies.
The United States,
Britain, Sweden and human rights groups have all criticised the
attack on the labour leaders which they said was a flagrant violation
of human rights.
Meanwhile, late
reports suggested that Matibenga and another ZCTU official she is
travelling with were admitted to a Johannesburg trauma clinic for
treatment. - ZimOnline
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