COSATU+condemns+Zimbabwe+deportation+of+Pat+Horn

COSATU condemns Zimbabwe deportation
The Congress of South African Trade Unions deplores the deportation from Zimbabwe last night of Pat Horn, a Coordinator with Street Net. She was traveling from South Africa to facilitate an educational event at the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions’ (ZCTU) Silver Jubilee School, under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Associations, which is affiliated to the ZCTU.

The federation also condemns the action of the police, who first tried to stop the Silver School from holding the event, and then tried to insist on sitting through the activities. We welcome the ZCTU officials’ decision to deny them entry, which forced them to spend the whole day seated outside the school.

COSATU is particularly concerned that the reason given by the police for the deportation, and the attempts to stop the event, is that they claimed to have had information that the ZCTU was hosting visitors from COSATU. Pat Horn was not representing COSATU, but even if she had been there would have been no justification whatsoever for her deportation.

The government’s action is in effect another indirect attack on COSATU, and the latest of a series of attempts by the Zimbabwe government to prevent normal interactions between international labour bodies, notably the similar deportations of COSATU delegations in October 2004 and February 2005.

COSATU joins the ZCTU in condemning this action as intolerable interference in trade union work, a violation of the freedom of association and movement, and a contravention of ILO conventions. We demand that Pat Horn be allowed to return unhindered to Zimbabwe.


 * Patrick Craven (Editor, Shopsteward Journal)**
 * Congress of South African Trade Unions**
 * 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets**
 * Braamfontein, 2017**


 * P.O.Box 1019**
 * Johannesburg, 2000**
 * South Africa**


 * Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24**
 * Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940**
 * E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za**



ZCTU visitor deported
Pat Horn, a Coordinator with Street Net from South Africa, was deported last night (1 March 2006) at the Harare International Airport by immigration officials.

Pat was coming to Zimbabwe to facilitate at the recently launched Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Silver Jubilee School which is taking place at the Management Training Bureau. No reasons were given for the deportation.

This comes after some Police details had tried to stop the Silver School from commencing on the first day as they said they had some information that the ZCTU was hosting visitors from COSATU

The Police had insisted on sitting through the activities but officialss from ZCTU denied them that chance. They spent thwe whole day seated outside the Silver School venue.

Pat Horn was coming to facilitate at the school on the auspices of the affiliation of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Associations (ZCIEA) to Street Net. ZCIEA is also affiliated to the ZCTU.

This deportation comes after a similar action was carried out on a delefgation from COSATU in February 2005.

The ZCTU condemns this action as it is utmost intereference in Trade union work and is in violation of freedom of Association and movement.

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Information Officer ZCTU Box 3549 Harare Tel: 263 4 702517 Cel: 263 11 620 232 Fax: 263 4 728484 E:mail: info@zctu.co.zw Web : [|wwww.zctu.co.zw]**
 * Mlamleli Sibanda

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