2005-10-12,+ZCTU+leadership+to+appear+in+court

= ZCTU leadership to appear in court =


 * ZCTU, Harare**

21 leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions are set to appear at the Harare Magistrates Court on Thursday 13 October 2005 to answer charges under the Miscellaneous Offences Act after having refused to pay admissuion of guilt fines

The ZCTU leadership which includes, the President, Lovemore Matombo, and the Secretary General, Wellington Chibebe, were arrested on 8 October 2003 during a ZCTU demonstration against high levels of taxation, cash and transport shortages and violation of human and trade union rights.

In a court summons dated 4 August 2005 to the accused, the charges were outlined thus "In that on the 8th day of October 2003 and at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and Sam Nujoma street, Harare the accused person mentioned above each or one or more of them unlawfully did acts which are likely materally to interefere with the ordinary comfort, convinience, peace or quoet (sic) of the public or any act likely to lead to a breach of the peace or create a nuinsance or obstructuion that uis to say:-

a) assembled and sang revolutionary songs. b) Marched along the streets waving placards written -
 * ZCTU: We demand lower taxation.
 * ZCTU: Zvinhu zvadhura todya marara here? (things have become expensive are we going to eat rubbish)
 * ZCTU: Let the ZCTU do its work without intereferences.
 * ZCTU -we demand cheap and reliable transport.
 * ZCTU we want cash in the banks

- disturbing the free flow of traffic of both human and motor traffic"

This case was supposed to have been heared in court on 9 October 2003 soon after the arrest. It was then postponed after the court said it was going to proceed by way of summons. The accused were then summoned to court on 25 January 2005 but the state failed to serve summons to all the activists, hence they have been summoned to appear on 13 October 2005.

The ZCTU views this as a deliberate protraction of the case so that the ZCTU leadership will always have something hanging on them and will not be able to execute their duties effectively.

The Information Department will keep you informed by about the progress of the court case

Mlamleli Sibanda 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