2 ZCTU officials receive treatment at SA trauma clinic after police beatings

By Violet Gonda
22 September 2006

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) vice-president Lucia Matibenga and a colleague who suffered beatings while in police custody are reported to have received treatment at a Gauteng clinic trauma unit in South Africa.

This news was announced by COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi at the SA labour body's congress at Midrand on Thursday.

COSATU Spokesperson Pat Craven confirmed to SW Radio Africa that the officials received treatment in Johannesburg, but had to return to Zimbabwe Friday as part of their bail conditions.
Matibenga and several ZCTU leaders, civic and opposition officials were arrested last Wednesday at the start of labour organised demonstrations for better working conditions and workers’ rights to access to Anti Retroviral drugs. Scores of ZCTU members were also arrested countrywide.

Meanwhile all members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) arrested on Wednesday have been released. The pressure group had embarked on solidarity marches in several cities to protest against the way the police treated the ZCTU members and the protests were also part of the NCA’s ongoing call for a people driven constitution.

180 people were arrested in Mutare and released after paying admission of guilt fines of ZW$250 each on Thursday, while those arrested in Gweru and Masvingo were only released on Friday.

An NCA official said they were all charged under the Criminal Codification Act on the “spurious allegations of participating in conduct likely to breach peace.” The group says four people in Masvingo were released on free bail and remanded to 2nd November while three activists in Gweru were fined ZW$5 000 each. It’s reported that the three were assaulted while in police custody.