Latest+on+ZCTU+Arrests

//Via COSATU, Tue 2007/03/20 01:09 PM//
=Latest on ZCTU Arrests=

Two ZCTU activists and one staff member in Masvingo were arrested in the early hours of this morning while distributing flyers on the ZCTU planned stay away on April 3 and 4, 2007. Our lawyer has managed to access the three. They are being charged with littering and also distributing material that has the potential to cause an uprising. The three, Tennyson Muchefa from the National Engineering Workers' Union, Douglas Dzimiri from the Zimbabwe domestic and Allied Workers' Union, and Gilbert Marembo, a ZCTU staff member are still being held at Masvingo Police Station and no indications have been made on when they are likely to appear in court.

//Via COSATU, Tue 2007/03/20 04:57 PM//
=Yet More Arrests=

Four more Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions activists have been arrested in Bulawayo today. They had gone there using a ZCTU vehicle to distribute flyers on the April 3 and 4 2007 stay away.

The vehicle was involved in a minor accident with an army truck being driven by a female officer. The female officer allegedly came out of the truck and assaulted the driver of the ZCTU vehicle accusing him of having caused the accident.

One of the activists in the car tried to intervene but had a gun pointed to his head by the female officer who informed them they were under arrest and took them to the police station. The ZCTU vehicle is still parked at the scene of the accident.

The fourth person was arrested after having gone to the vehicle to retrieve material for the stay away. He was arrested at his offices where he had taken the material. It looks like he had been under surveilance.

Meanwhile, the three who were arrested in Masvingo have refused to pay admission of guilt fines. They are set to appear in court tomorrow. The three are Tennyson Muchefa, Douglas Dzimiri and Gilbert Marembo.

P.O Box 3549, Harare, Zimbabwe
 * Khumbulani Ndlovu**, Information Officer, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

Fax 263-4-728484 E-mail Website**
 * Telephone 263-4-794702/794742

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