COSATU+condemns+latest+atrocities+in+Zimbabwe

COSATU Media Release, Sun 2007/03/18 08:08 PM
=COSATU condemns latest atrocities in Zimbabwe=


 * The Congress of South African Trade Unions is outraged at the latest reports of continuing atrocities by the Zimbabwe state forces. These include reports that:**


 * Nelson Chamisa, the public information officer **of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)**, was hit on the head with an iron bar at the entrance to Harare airport, when on his way to a meeting in Belgium. He sustained serious injuries and his personal belongings, including a laptop, were stolen.
 * **Arthur Mutambara, the leader of one of the factions of the MDC, was re-arrested on Saturday afternoon and has been** charged with inciting public violence.
 * **Grace Kwinjeh and Sekai Holland, of the other MDC faction, were arrested shortly before they could board a plane to South Africa where doctors had sent them for specialised** medical treatment. They are under police guard at the Avenues Clinic and the government has refused to issue Kwinjeh with an Emergency Travel Document.
 * Police stole the body of Gift Tandare, the activist who died as a result of last weekend's attack, buried it near to his rural home in Mount Darwin, and then forced his father to go to the grave at gunpoint. MDC lawyers say the government had no legal basis to demand his corpse and have filed a high court application to compel the government to return it.

If true, these reports confirm COSATU’s view that the government is systematically and ruthlessly crushing all democratic rights, and repeats its demand for the immediate unconditional release of all those arrested and insists that the police return the body of Gift Tandare to his family for his funeral which is scheduled for tomorrow.

COSATU is mobilising its members for a demonstration in Johannesburg on 3 April, in a massive show of solidarity with the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe, in particular with the general strike called for 3-4 April 2007 by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, and calls upon all South Africans, and Zimbabweans living in South Africa, to join us.


 * Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)**
 * 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/ 086 603 9667**
 * Cell: 0828217456**
 * E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za**

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