ZCTU+update+on+Matombo+&+Chibebe,+May+Day+report,+and+true+reasons+for+arrest



Dear Comrades I am back in the office and trying to gather my confidence. As you probably know by now the Secretary General of ZCTU and the President are held at the Harare Central Police since yesterday and will spend the weekend there. There was supposed to be a court case today and so we spent the whole day in court but the prosecutor did not turn up on time and when he did the papers were not order so they are remanded in custody until Monday when there will be a court hearing for their case. They are charged with inciting people to rise against the “government” and spreading false information that people are being killed when there is no evidence to show. This happened during the May day celebrations when they presented their speeches. =__ WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY DAY __= On workers day the ZCTU celebrated workers day in 30 out of 34 districts successfully. In all centres workers braved the environment to attend and there was warm presence of civic society leaders in all the areas who gave solidarity messages. Every person who gave a message acknowledged the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai and recognized him in absentia. Every one condemned the brutal attacks and the violence, the targeted victimization of trade union leaders and the interference with NGO work by the “government” The Chinese were also condemned for their protection of Mugabe and supplying guns for people to kill each other and Thabo Mbeki was insulted for his blindness to democracy. -I must mention that for us to host the Workers day the administrators in government officers made it difficult by continuously shifting goal post in terms of the venues and confusing the workers. In three places the police refused outright to let the workers commemorate this day and threatened to beat to kill and wrote letters to bar them which are cases in the courts to date. With all this interference the day was still celebrated and in Harare about 7000 workers gathered in the stadium back of Harare which was not easily accessible to workers ; but those who could make it came. This is close to half of what we normally get on may days. - Whiles the activities were going on, news arrived that two teachers had just been killed in Guruve a certain rural part of Zimbabwe in the north. The report was received by General Secretary for Teachers Union who immediately informed the Secretary General of ZCTU who then announced the news and requested the crowd to observe a moment of silence - This obviously scaled up the people’s emotions and so now they are behind cells. In such circumstance one waits and wonders for the day we will see justice in Zimbabwe. One wonders how much blood must be spilled before we are truly heard. All the work the civic society had done to emancipate people’s mind is crushed as we no have a petrified society. The hospitals are full with glaring evidence and the ambassadors of different countries have witnessed these cases and the sight can only remind you of the horror movies which have become real. People hands cut off, fingers, cut off, hands cut off and backs burnt. During my recovery period I tried to visit some in the hospitals and after 5 patients I was feeling faint and I could not go on. =__ THE REASON FOR KEEPING ZCTU LEADERSHIP IN CELLS __= Of all the suppressive laws which the ZANU regime enacted in Zimbabwe they could not silence the Trade Union movement due to successful international lobbying and quick responses from our partners. Thus the ZCTU remains the only voice which can distribute information and hold public gatherings albeit with some difficult. All other institutes can only hold board room meetings and wait to partake when we hold meetings. The ZCTU is still a formidable force due to its outreach to Informal Economy workers and is represented in 34 districts throughout the country and 125 chapters of ZCIEA. Thus it still poses a threat to Mugabe’s agenda to cling to power and negotiate for legitimacy. The ZCTU leadership being adequately informed are more reliable and also articulate in the issues as they come up. Why am I saying this – I believe that the “government” may seek to prolong their stay in the cells just to stifle the voice of workers and disturb programmes by the trade unions in Zimbabwe. The mugabe patriots have vowed not to leave power and they said in the event of a runoff –this will be an election they cannot afford to loose publicly and so I feel that removing all obstacles starting with the ZCTU leadership is a possibility. I will also forward the messages as we captured them on May Day for information and recommended advocacy programme we need to embark on here and now. I have survived the ordeal and am back at my work Reagards =__ Vimbai __=
 * zctuinformal@hms.co.zw **