Riot police use force to block ZCTU protests

By Tererai Karimakwenda
13 September 2006

On Wednesday many labour leaders and opposition officials were arrested and some brutally assaulted by riot police, as people around the country attempted to gather for demonstrations organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Saying workers cannot survive with extremely low salaries and a lack of anti-retroviral drugs, the umbrella labour body had called for countrywide protests which were supported by many other civic organisations, students and political parties. The turnout varied from one area to another but a very heavy presence of armed riot police was reported in most major towns as the government attempted to prevent large groups from gathering. Top officials of the ZCTU and some MDC officials who had said they would lead from the front were arrested and assaulted.
ZCTU spokesman Mlamleli Sibanda told us that the police campaign to derail their protests started Tuesday with many labour officials being arrested and some being interrogated. He said the police also sealed off major roads leading to assembly points and descended on any groups that had gathered before they became too large. Sibanda said the police presence was heaviest in Harare where ZCTU officials were assaulted while many who had gathered were watching. Two people were seriously injured. He believes this intimidated people and caused them to disperse.

The state media reported Wednesday that Mugabe left Harare Tuesday night headed for the 14th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Havana, Cuba. Before he left there were reports that government was ready to talk with the unions under the auspices of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF). But the ZCTU leaders dismissed the TNF, which is comprised of representatives from government, industry and labour, as just a talking shop with no chance of yielding results.

While Mugabe feasts in Havana, an estimated 158 Zimbabweans are in police custody and there are armed riot police on the streets in most major towns. There were numerous assaults on innocent civilians on the streets and many youths were rounded up, just for being outside.