NCA, labour groups condemn Matombo arrest

THE National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has strongly condemned the “repressive and unjustified” arrest of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions President Lovemore Matombo, and other ZCTU officials on Sunday 8 November 2009 in Victoria Falls.

Matombo was arrested together with two union officials, Michael Kandukutu and Percy Mcijo. They were kept in custody without any charges being laid against them. They are now expected to appear in court under oppressive Public Order and Security Act.

Said the ZCTU’s information officer Khumbulani Ndlovu: “They were later transferred to Hwange police station. The ZCTU president was on a tour of the country meeting ZCTU structures and the Victoria Falls meeting was the first meeting of his tour.”

Matombo was last year arrested and detained together with several human rights activists after organising a mass action against the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s unpopular cash withdrawal limits.

Besides the NCA, other organizations like South Africa’s COSATU and the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation  (ITUC-Africa) have called on President Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Republic Police  to immediately release Matombo.

In his letter to President Mugabe, which also copied to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and to all African labour bodies, ITUC-Africa Secretary General, Kwasi Adu Amankwah said the African labour demands the release of the ZCTU leadership with immediate effect.

"Africa strongly urges Mr. President to  authorize the immediate and Unconditional release of Lovemore Matombo, Michael Kandukutu and Percy Mcijo and to prevail on the police to refrain from harassing trade unionists.

"ITUC-Africa hopes that Mr.  President will pay prompt attention to this very serious matter and looks forward to your immediate action," said Amankwah in a statement.

He said the ITUC-Africa strongly condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of ZCTU leadership arguing that such arrests violated their freedom of expression and association.

"The three colleagues were carrying out a legitimate trade union activity, which is protected under ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organise. Given that the Government of Zimbabwe has ratified this Convention, it is under the obligation to uphold it and refrain from any acts of interference in trade union affairs.

"ITUC Africa has also been informed about the attack on the family of Gertrude Hambira, General Secretary of  GAPWUS and a Council member  of ZCTU,  on  3 November. Although  the  reason  behind  this  attack  is not yet  clear,  the Government  is  obliged  to  ensure  the  safety  of  all citizens  including  trade unionists.

"ITUC Africa is particularly alarmed at the arbitrary arrest and detention of the President  of  the  ZCTU  and  the  many  recent  incidents  of trade union  rights violations  despite  the  ongoing  ILO  Commission of  Inquiry into  violations  of fundamental workers rights in Zimbabwe," said  Amankwah.

An NCA statement read: “If anything, the arrests are a blatant violation of the ZCTU leadership’s right to the freedoms of association and assembly. As these arrests and others that continue to take place on baseless grounds testify, Zimbabwe continues to be a repressive state in which those in power thrive on trumping upon the rights and freedoms of citizens.

“As this statement is being prepared, police in Victoria Falls is holding Mr Matombo and the other ZCTU officials. Their detention is a baseless assault on freedom, which underscores the urgent need for a democratic and people driven constitutional dispensation in which the rights and freedoms of citizens are upheld and guaranteed.”