PTUZ leaders arrested

By Tererai Karimakwenda
14 February 2007

The wave of arrests continued in Zimbabwe Wednesday as police arrested Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President Takavafira Zhou and Secretary General Raymond Majongwe. The two were addressing teachers on the ongoing strike and monitoring the situation in Masvingo and Harare respectively. The national strike by teachers started three weeks ago and they are demanding better working conditions and salaries in line with the poverty datum line.

Tabani Moyo of the Crisis Coalition spoke to Majongwe just after his arrest. He said the PTUZ leader told him he was at Haig Park Primary School in Malbereign when officers from the CID division took him along with McDonald Mangauzana. Later on Wednesday afternoon Majongwe told Moyo he had been denied access to a lawyer. He accused police of tampering with his car and denying him access to lock it.

The only information known about Zhou is that he was arrested in Masvingo along with another official identified only as Gideon at Rukato Primary School. Moyo said Zhou’s phone is not reachable and he has not communicated. He was also monitoring and evaluating the strike by teachers.

There are also reports that teachers around the country are being harassed by state agents accusing them of participating in political activity by striking. An hour before the PTUZ leaders were arrested members of the Central Intelligence Office (CIO) stormed Seke 4 High School in Chitungwiza where they quizzed the PTUZ Harare Chairperson Jacob Rukweza about the ongoing strike.

According to Moyo and The Crisis Coalition, Majongwe and Mangauzana were dragged into a Mazda pickup truck plate number ZRP 3336 M and are being held at Harare Central Law and Order. Zhou and Gideon are being held at Chikato Police Station.”

Police have been majing it difficult for lawyers to access their clients in the cases involving the WOZA activists and the students arrested Tuesday, and the teachers union arrests on Wednesday. As a result information regarding the numbers arrested and their condition has been hard to come by.