Zimbabwe: Police Still as brutal

Trade unionist and Bulawayo ward 13 (Pelandaba) councillor, Samuel Khumalo, was among the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) officials who were arrested, brutalized and later dumped in the bush by officers of the Zimbabwe Republic Police over the peaceful demonstration planned by the labour body last week, which was thwarted by the police.

Councillor Khumalo, who is the chairperson for the Communication and Aligned Services Workers Union of Zimbabwe, is now recovering from home.

The demonstration, Councillor Khumalo says, was meant to protest to the government over high levels of taxation; high cost of living; shortage and high cost of transport as a result of the fuel price increases; shortage of cash and the gross violation of human and trade union rights.

Councillor Khumalo was among several trade union leaders who had gathered to hand over the petition with the issues to government officials in Bulawayo. Police quickly dispersed them near the Government offices complex in Bulawayo, but, determined to hand over the petition to the relevant authorities, they re-grouped at a different place. Riot police suddenly arrived, and started assaulting the trade unionists who had gathered. Councillor Khumalo was struck several times on the forehead, and blood started oozing out of his nose. The blood oozing from Councillor Khumalo's nose was not enough to deter the police officers from further assaulting Councillor Khumalo, who they dragged by his hair for about one kilometer to Drill Hall Police Station, where he was ordered to wash off the blood. Some of Councillor Khumalo's hair pulled off as he was being dragged to Drill Hall Police Station.

While at Drill Hall Police Station, the police asked one of the trade unionists in the group to reveal the person who had informed him about the demonstration. The trade unionist gave out the name of one union member who works for Tel One. Councillor Khumalo and his colleagues were then transferred to Stops Police Camp in Bulawayo in a police vehicle before being taken to Tel One offices where they picked the unionist who had been named as having spread information about the intention to hand over a petition.

The police truck then drove the unionists along Victoria Falls road. As they drove, the police insulted the unionists telling them that they will never rule Zimbabwe because it was won from the British imperialists through an armed struggle. No one would rule the country without waging an armed struggle, the police said. The police officers went on to warn the trade unionists that they will die for no good reason because of their involvement in politics, and told them that now that the Daily News had been stopped from publishing, there was no newspaper that would carry the story of the treatment they were to receive from them (the police).

The police vehicle stopped in the Nyamandlovu area and all the trade unionists were blindfolded before the vehicle turned into the bush to a spot where the trade unionists were told to disembark from the vehicle. After disembarking from the police vehicle, the trade unionists were taken to another place where they were asked to take off their shoes. They were severely assaulted all over their bodies, made to chant Zanu PF slogans and sing the Zanu PF song "Rambai Makashinga."

After assaulting the trade unionists, the police then drove off and left them in the bush. For an hour, the trade unionists struggled to walk to the main road. They managed to phone one trade unionist in Bulawayo and transport was arranged to pick them up. They first received treatment at the company clinic before being transferred to Bulawayo Central Hospital where they received further treatment.

Councillor Khumalo can be reached on 263 9 400 562 or on his mobile number 293 91 924 094.

MDC Information and Publicity Department