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Police bar workers demo
MISA-Zimbabwe
September 13, 2006

Armed riot police on 13 September 2006 sealed off Harare's central business district and arrested the leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) including a freelance journalist ahead of planned nationwide demonstrations to protest against the worsening hyper-inflationary economic hardships which have eroded workers salaries and wages.

ZCTU president Lovemore Matombo, vice president Lucia Matibenga, secretary-general Wellington Chibhebhe, Raymond Majongwe, the president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), freelance cameraperson Mike Saburi and 20 other people were among those arrested in Harare.

The ZCTU leaders, Saburi, senior opposition MDC official Grace Kwinjeh, and several others are being detained at Harare Central Police Station. Unconfirmed reports said the police also arrested several other members of the ZCTU's general council.

Heavily armed police patrolled the central business district and sealed off roads leading to Munhumutapa Building which houses the Offices of the President and Cabinet and Parliament Building. The security cordon comes hard on the heels of a dire warning by President Robert Mugabe that the government would ruthlessly deal with any planned demonstrations.

The planned marches which were slated for 12.30 pm until 2pm, had been called to demand for minimum wages and salaries commensurate with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) which was last month pegged at Z$84 million, reduction in income tax to a maximum of 30 percent and that workers salaries below the PDL should not be taxed.

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