National Railways absorbs militia & war vets

By Lance Guma
25 August 2005

The battle for control of the labour unions took on another dimension when it emerged that government has empowered a war veteran known only as Siziba to set up a parallel recruitment office for the National Railways in Bulawayo. Sources in the city say he is stuffing the parastatal with war vets and graduates from the youth militia training camps. The NRZ, considered by many as the largest employer in the country, has an official personnel department that operates from its Lobengula Street offices. Siziba on the other hand has set up an un-official personnel office at the NRZ old administration block near the train station.

The latest developments come hot on the heels of complaints by the MDC Information Officer for Bulawayo Province, Victor Moyo, that their supporters are being victimised within the National Railways. The victimisation was particularly vicious in the run up to the March 2005 parliamentary elections. It would seem government is promoting a new strategy of displacement rather than coercion. Lionel Saungweme reporting from the city says once the government fills the railways with its sympathisers, it will be easy to infiltrate the labour unions in the country.

MDC Vice President, Gibson Sibanda is himself a former NRZ employee and the parastatal has a rich history inside the labour union. Saungweme views the latest recruitment of youth militia and war veterans as a direct assault on the ability of workers to fight for their rights once they have para-military forces within their ranks.