ZCTU OFFICIALS ARRESTED AT GATHERING POINTS -

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 002033

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR J. FRAZER
LONDON FOR C. GURNEY
PARIS FOR C. NEARY
NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2013
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ZCTU OFFICIALS ARRESTED AT GATHERING POINTS -
DEMONSTRATIONS QUASHED BEFORE BEGINNING

REF: HARARE 2006

Classified By: Political Officer Audu Besmer for reasons 1.5 b/d


1. (U) On October 8, Police arrested forty-one members of
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in Harare, five in
Bulawayo, one in Masvingo, one in Chinhoyi, and reportedly
one hundred in Mutare. The ZCTU members were gathering to
protest high taxes, escalating costs for transport and other
necessities, cash shortages, and violation of trade union
rights by the GOZ. The Harare arrestees included ZCTU
Secretary General Wellington Chibebe, Chairman Lovemore

SIPDIS
Matongo, and Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President
Raymond Majongwe. ZCTU did not announce its intent to
demonstrate.


2. (SBU) Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) was
coordinating legal representation for all of the arrestees
nationwide. Arnold Tsunga, ZLHR Director, said that police
had not filed any charges yet, and could hold the arrestees
legally for forty-eight hours before filing charges or
releasing them. Tsunga said that police had assaulted two of
the arrestees in Harare, however, the group was in good
spirits at Harare Central Police Station waiting to be handed
over to the notorious Law and Order Section.

COMMENT:
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3. (C) Although no charges have been filed yet, we would
expect police to do so under the Draconian Public Order and
Security Act (POSA) in the coming days. It would not be
surprising if many of the arrestees, if not all of them, were
held for the full forty-eight hours before appearing before a
judge for charges to be filed. This waiting period in a
Zimbabwean jail cell with all its discomforts viewed as
punishment in and of itself. With the shutdown of the Daily
News and reduced media scrutiny, the government can be
expected to be more confident in undertaking similar
suppression efforts against its critics.


4. (C) Although bearers' cheques were recently introduced
alleviating the cash shortage, and fuel has effectively been
deregulated--inflation has jumped in the past two weeks
(Reftel) and ordinary Zimbabweans still have trouble
affording the basics and finding a ride to work. While there
are many reasons to protest, there is no indication yet that
large numbers of ordinary Zimbabweans actually heeded the
call to march.
SULLIVAN