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ZCTU commemorations must proceed
Movement for Democratic Change
July 07, 2010

The MDC condemns the decision by the police to ban the historic Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) commemorations of the Hwange Colliery mine disaster as a serious violation of the people's Constitutional right to express themselves. The ZCTU commemorations mark a sad chapter in the history of the working people of Zimbabwe when 426 miners perished after an underground explosion at the colliery on 6 June, 1972.

It is astounding that the police can have the audacity to ban the commemorations of such a tragic national event. It did not even require a court order for the workers to be granted their basic rights of expression, movement and association. Basic rights are never threats to any government. They simply provide an opportunity for the people to peacefully express themselves.

The MDC is a party hewn from the sweat and toil of the working people of Zimbabwe. We share their grievous concern with the unpatriotic attitude of the police who want to deny the workers of this country their right to remember and commemorate the tragic death of their fellows who literally died in the trenches, toiling for the betterment of their country.

The Hwange accident is one of the worst in Zimbabwe's history and the MDC salutes the ZCTU for holding the annual commemorations. As a labour-backed movement, the MDC will always treasure and respect the workers' rights to express themselves; their freedom to grieve and remember those that died painfully in the course of national duty.

We urge the ZCTU to remain undeterred by the behaviour of the police. The working people must proceed with their commemorations. Zimbabwe cannot afford to forget the contributions of the hundreds who perished in the course of a national duty and not even the reprehensible behaviour of the police can erase that painful, national memory.

The MDC will continue to walk with the working people to deliver real change. We urge the inclusive government to move with urgency and speed in the democratization agenda so that workers and the general people of Zimbabwe can begin to enjoy their basic, sacrosanct and inalienable freedoms of assembly, speech and movement.

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