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Mugabe defends police brutality, attacks media
MISA-Zimbabwe
September 25, 2006

President Robert Mugabe has defended the brutal police attacks against leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) despite international condemnation and increasing demands for full investigations into the assaults which led to the hospitalisation of secretary-general Wellington Chibhebhe.

President Mugabe said the ZCTU leaders got the treatment they deserved. He described the journalists that turned up to cover the planned demonstrations on 13 September 2006 as "the stupid ones who always write stupid things". He said the ZCTU leaders had invited the journalists and some non-governmental organisations to dramatise their act in a bid to get a "Bush or a Blair" to intervene.

"We cannot have a situation where people decide to sit in places not allowed and when the police remove them, they say no. We can't have that, that is a revolt to the system. If you do not move you invite the police to use force," said President Mugabe.

Armed riot police on 13 September 2006 sealed off Harare's CBD and arrested ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo, vice president Lucia Matibenga, Chibhebhe, senior opposition MDC official, Grace Kwinje and Raymond Majongwe, the president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), among others.

Heavily armed police patrolled the CBD and sealed off roads leading to Munhumutapa Building which houses the Offices of the President and Cabinet and Parliament Building ahead of the planned marches. The security cordon followed a dire warning by President Mugabe that the government would ruthlessly deal with any planned mass actions and demonstrations.

Mike Saburi a freelance cameraperson was arrested together with leaders of the ZCTU ahead of the planned nationwide demonstrations leading to the assault of some of the trade unionists in the cells of a condemned police station.

Saburi, Matombo and 28 other accused persons were only released on 15 September 2006 after being granted Zimdollars 20 000 (USd 80) bail each when they appeared in court on initial remand on charges of contravening Section 37 (1) (b) Chapter 9: 23 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) which deals with conduct likely to breach public peace.

The court heard how the police brutally assaulted the ZCTU leaders and the other accused persons some of whom wore slings and had bandaged arms when they appeared in court. Chibhebhe did not appear in court with the others as he was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital with multiple head injuries.

The assaults were so brutal that Matibenga is feared to have shattered her eardrum during the ordeal.

Some of the accused had been held at Matapi Police Station whose cells were condemned as inhuman and degrading by the Supreme Court and made to walk through raw sewage as they were brutally assaulted one by one by the police and other unknown persons.

They were also denied food and blankets during their detention in the unlit bugs-infested cells. Defence lawyers had to seek an urgent High Court order for them to get medical attention which the police were continuously denying them despite representations from their lawyers.

The planned marches which were slated for 12.30 pm until 2pm on 13 September 2006, had been called to demand for minimum wages and salaries commensurate with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL), 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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