Brussels, 25 March 2008: As criticism of Zimbabwe’s human rights’ record is mounting throughout the international community in the run-up to next week-end’s national elections, the ITUC has denounced what it says is the Mugabe regime’s “most despicable attack yet” against the country’s independent trade union movement. It has today released the text of a strongly-worded protest letter to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe over the torture of nine leaders and representatives of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe by agents of the regime on 19 February. The protest is based on new, first-hand information received by the ITUC concerning the severity of the beatings and sexual assaults which took place in a blood-spattered basement room at the headquarters of the ruling party Zanu-PF. The nine were abducted by Zanu-PF militia on the morning of 19 February, and subjected to more than two hours of brutal attacks during the day. The women amongst the nine trade unionists were subjected to sexual assault with iron bars, and five of the trade unionists were hospitalised following the beatings, including two with serious bone fractures.
"This is definitely the most despicable act so far in a long catalogue of anti-union violence and repression lasting for many years", said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder. "The Mugabe regime has once again demonstrated with extreme violence its absolute intolerance of peaceful dissent over its disastrous social and economic track record", he added.
Of the nine PTUZ representatives, President Takavafira Zhou, General Secretary Raymond Majongwe, Treasurer Ladistos Zunde, National Co-ordinator Oswald Madziva, activist Muhwandarikwa, activist Shoko, activist Linda Fumphanda, activist Hillary Jana and Information and Publicity Officer Harrison Mudzuri, six were held in detention for 4 days after the torture, and the remaining three were held for 7 days.
The ITUC-affiliated Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and its member organisations, including the PTUZ, have been key targets for repression by the country’s security forces, due in particular to their criticism of the regime’s economic policies, which have driven the country to the brink of total economic collapse. The PTUZ representatives were arrested when distributing information pamphlets in the capital Harare concerning the deep crisis in the education system. The Global Union Federation for the education sector, the Education International, has also publicly condemned the February 19 beatings as an egregious violation of basic human and trade union rights.
The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates.
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018
