Let us take care of the children, for they have a long way to go.
Let us take care of the elders, for they have come a long way.
Let us take care of those in between, for they are doing the work.
Traditional African Prayer

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Kubatana.net brings you a consolidated update on the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) protest on Tuesday 18th November 2003.

For photographs of the protest including images of harassment of civic leaders and injured demonstrators, please visit the following link:
www.kubatana.net/html/archive/lab/031118zcturevu.asp?sector=LAB

Arrested civic leaders in Harare include:
Lovemore Matombo the President of the ZCTU
Wellington Chibhebhe the Secretary General of the ZCTU
Lucia Matibenga the Vice President of the ZCTU
Lovemore Madhuku Chairman of National Constitutional Assembly
John Makumbe of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
Brian Raftopolous, University lecturer
Mike Davies Chairman of Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
Andrew Moyse of the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)

ZCTU Statement
In one of the most brutal operations in recent days riot police in Harare swooped on the demonstrating ZCTU leaders and activists and arrested 50 people who are yet to be charged.

In a worrying development, the ZCTU Secretary General, Wellington Chibebe was separated from the rest and they are now holding him in solitary confinement.

At the moment the police are taking statements from the demonstrators and they have not been charged.

Bulawayo
10 people were arrested in Bulawayo including one woman activists who was severely assaulted by the riot police in Bulawayo. The riot police broke up the demonstrations by firing tear smoke and indiscriminately beating up people and in the ensuing melee, one ZCTU activist was knocked down by a lorry and is in Hospital at the moment. The 10 include the ZCTU Regional leadership and they have not been as yet charged.

Mutare
300 activists were arrested in Mutare while they prepared to march into town and they are still being held by police at the moment.

Gwanda
The ZCTU District Chairman was arrested in Gwanda early morning and is still being held by police up to now

Victoria Falls
The District Chairman of Victoria Falls was also arrested for distributing flyers informing people about the ZCTO protest.

The ZCTU information Department will keep you informed of any information as more demonstratiions are still taking place.

Mlamleli Sibanda
[email protected]

Read other ZCTU statements pertaining to this protest at:
www.kubatana.net/html/archive/archorg_index.asp?orgcode=zim005

COSATU condemns Zimbabwe arrests
The Congress of South African Trade Unions vehemently condemns the arrest of possibly several hundreds of leaders and activists of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and others before and during today's protest action.
The police action began early in the morning when they arrested six ZCTU General Council members at a meeting in a Harare hotel. In other town and cities, arrests started as early as 8 am.

At around 1 pm in Harare, before the planned protest march could begin, heavily armed police descended on the protesters and loaded them in four trucks. Some of them were severely beaten.

Those arrested included the ZCTU top leadership, including the secretary general, Wellington Chibebe, the president, Lovemore Matombo, the vice president, Lucia Matibenga, and several leaders of affiliated unions. COSATU is particularly concerned that Wellington Chibebe has been separated from the rest and is in solitary confinement.

10 people were arrested in Bulawayo including one woman activists who was severely assaulted by the riot police. The riot police broke up the demonstrations by firing tear smoke and indiscriminately beating up people and in the ensuing melee. One ZCTU activist was knocked down by a lorry and is in hospital. The 10 include the ZCTU Regional leadership and they have not been as yet charged.

In Mutare 300 activists were arrested while they prepared to march into town. They are still being held by police. The ZCTU District Chairman was arrested in Gwanda early in the morning and is still being held by police. The District Chairman of Victoria Falls was also arrested for distributing fliers informing people about the ZCTU protest.

COSATU is also concerned that journalists from the independent media and activists from Crisis Zimbabwe, a civil society pressure group, were also arrested, beaten and taken to the Central Police Station. None of the arrested have been charged.

The ZCTU fears that those arrested might be detained overnight and in different police Stations, where they say they cannot rule out the possibility of them being tortured, as many were on the previous ZCTU protest on 8 October.

COSATU has declared its full support for the ZCTU's legitimate protest action to pressure government to reduce taxation ahead of the announcement of the national budget on Thursday. The protest was also against the government's abuse of human and trade union rights, which has been entirely vindicated by today's police action, which illustrates the government's complete lack of any respect for the right to free speech and assembly.

COSATU joins trade union throughout the world in demanding the immediate release of all those detained and the dropping of any charges. These workers were exercising their basic democratic right to demonstrate peacefully. Today's events have underlined the urgency of bringing together all sections of Zimbabwe civil society to negotiate a settlement of the massive political and economic crisis that country now faces. In the meantime there must be an immediate end to the attacks on workers and democratic rights which we have witnessed today.

Patrick Craven Acting COSATU Spokesperson
[email protected] 082-821-7456 339-4911

INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU): Zimbabwe: at least 350 arrested on national day of union protest
Brussels, November 18, 2003 (ICFTU Online): In a letter to the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has strongly condemned a wave of arrests of trade unionists, designed to quash national protests on 18th November. Latest information indicates that at least 350 people have been detained across Zimbabwe in the course of national protests, backed by Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), called to highlight violations of human and trade union rights, increases in the cost of living and high levels of taxation.

Prominent ZCTU member Peter Munyukwi was arrested in the early hours of the morning and subsequently severely assaulted. The arrest of trade unionist David Shambare also occurred earlier today. He had previously received threats after organising industrial action at the National Railways of Zimbabwe. The current whereabouts of the two men remain unknown. These come after the arrests of other key ZCTU trade unionists including Secretary General Wellington Chibebe, President Lovemore Matombo, and the trade union's Vice President Lucia Matibenga.

Following recent police harassment of trade unionists including numerous cases in October 2003 when 165 trade unionists were arrested at a ZCTU demonstration, some of whom were severely assaulted, the international trade union movement is strongly protesting today's arrests and a further catalogue of intimidation of ZCTU members including the holding of six members of its General Council.

Having notified the police of the planned national protest, the ICFTU affiliated-ZCTU, strongly supported by the international trade union movement, had reminded President Mugabe yesterday of his government's obligation to fully respect legitimate trade union activity, in line with core ILO conventions ratified by Zimbabwe.

In a letter to Robert Mugabe, ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder underlined that "we will add the information on the events of the last 24 hours to our existing complaint against Zimbabwe for violation of freedom of association legislation, lodged with the International Labour Organisation. The ICFTU will not hesitate to report any further repressive action by the police if given cause to".

The ICFTU is also highlighting the violations of trade union rights in Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth in the run up to its summit of 54 leaders in December.

The ICFTU represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

Visit the ICFTU website at www.icftu.org

Bulawayo - the largest street demonstration we have seen in the city since the major ZCTU demonstrations in 1998
The Trade Unions made it known that they were going to strike and demonstrate today and in preparation made it known that they would start at about 09.00 hrs. In fact this morning at 08.00 hrs phone calls went out to all factories informing workers that they were to work until 12.00 hrs and then strike and march into town. Apparently the objective was to ensure the Police were in the sun all morning with nothing to do. In fact the Police deployed yesterday and this morning a large contingent from the Youth Brigade arrived at the Train Station - we assume for the purpose of backing up the riot police.

At 12.00 most factories and motor workshops closed - in our area it looked as if about two thirds of workers then decided to go to town for the demonstration while the remainder went home. Road blocks of armed Police closed off the entire area of the government offices and when workers started to arrive in numbers they were greeted with baton charges and tear gas. The workers did not persist for long and then went home. They will be back at work tomorrow but are threatening further action next week of a similar nature. This was the largest street demonstration we have seen in the city since the major ZCTU demonstrations in 1998.

No reports from the rest of the country yet.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 18th November 2003

Arrested for handing out sweets
. . After some time a Police truck full of Riot Police left the Drill hall and seemingly drove away only to return from the other end. About three vehicles and upwards of 100 Riot Police were in attendance. We were addressed through a megaphone and told to disperse immediately or face assault. Many people sat down, some started to disperse but many wanted to see the petition delivered. The officer with the megaphone told his troops to advance and dogs were brought out. They advanced and people began to walk calmly away but the officer then ordered us to be beaten. Riot Police prodded us in the back saying we should disperse, the officer egged them on and they started to prod us telling us to run. We answered back saying that we would not run as the dogs would bite us. Run we were told and beaten until some of us ran and of course the dogs bit several people.
I refused to run and walked with WOZA women a distance but then we noticed that Patricia Tshabalala being taken by six policemen into a truck. We feared for her and said we wanted to be arrested instead an office with a dog said he would release the do onto us. We had not choice but to walk away. I was beaten across my buttocks, arms and legs as I refused to run. One policeman was beating me and another came saying he also wanted to ‘taste’ me; I took over 8 blows with batons. Finally they let us go and I found a member of WOZA with a head wound, she had been beaten on the head and was oozing blood. After trying to get into two companies to find refuge, we were finally allowed in to a bus company. Where we called for help and went to have medial attention.

Read the full account at:
www.kubatana.net/html/archive/lab/031118jw.asp?sector=LAB

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