ZCTU files 2 billion-dollar lawsuit over police beatings
By Lance Guma
28 November 2006

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has given notice to the Home Affairs ministry and the Police Commissioner of its intention to sue for over Z$2 billion over police beatings of it’s members. Union leaders were beaten up using baton sticks during a demonstration in September this year. The ZCTU had called for a march to protest against the lack of access to anti-retroviral drugs and an improvement to the wages and standard of living for workers. The government however ordered the security forces to crush the planned action.

Several members of the ZCTU top leadership, including President Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe, were severely assaulted by police officers. A secretly filmed video showed police officers forcing the unionists into a small truck and striking them with baton sticks to force them to fit inside. The vehicle was clearly overloaded but the police could be seen forcing the doors to close while they beat those nearest the door. The police tried to excuse their actions by saying the unionists were resisting arrest and that some of them jumped off the police cars while they were moving. It remains to be seen how they will explain the video evidence.

Robert Mugabe described the police actions as over-zealous when he travelled overseas to an international forum, but as soon as he landed on African soil in Egypt he made a dramatic climb-down saying the ZCTU leaders deserved the beatings. Lucia Matibenga the first Vice President of the ZCTU told Newsreel that a total of 15 members were suing the police for amounts ranging from Z$60-100 million each. Z$920 million will be for unlawful detention while Z$1,3 billion is compensation sought for the actual beatings. The police have been given 60 days to respond to the notice.