Zim cops arrest 100 protesters

2003-11-18 21:02

Liesl Louw and AFP

Harare - Baton-wielding Zimbabwean police on Tuesday violently broke up countrywide protests against high taxes, escalating prices and alleged rights abuses, arresting more than 100 rights activists and trade unionists, said witnesses and police.

The protests had been organised by the main labour body, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), in towns and cities throughout the country.

Police said 105 people had been arrested in three cities, but union officials claimed the figure was much higher.

In the capital, police picked up 50 civic rights leaders and trade union officials as they gathered outside Town House, in central Harare, according to the ZCTU.

The labour group's secretary-general and president, Wellington Chibebe and Lovemore Matombo, were among those arrested.

In Bulawayo, riot police with dogs and batons broke up a crowd of about 2 000 singing and chanting demonstrators who had gathered outside a government building to present a petition to the local governor.

'Our message was heard'

Jenni Williams, chairperson of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) said: "They were forcing us to run by beating us so they could set the dogs on us.

"Many of us are badly wounded by batons. We reached our goal. Our message was heard."

The ZCTU said 10 people had been arrested in Bulawayo.

Police had declared the planned nationwide protests illegal and threatened to clamp down on any such action.

Under Zimbabwe's strict security laws, public demonstrations are illegal without police clearance.

Ordinary Zimbabweans are facing severe economic hardship, with 70% of the work force unemployed and chronic shortages of food, fuel and medicines because of a lack of hard currency to import them.

In the eastern border town of Mutare as many as 300 activists were arrested as they prepared to march through town, claimed the labour body. Independent confirmation of this figure was impossible to obtain.

A statement from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai was formerly the ZCTU secretary-general, condemned Tuesday's "arbitrary arrests" and said the use of force showed President Robert Mugabe's regime "is certainly on its way out".

Obasanjo pays a visit

Earlier on Tuesday, police swooped on a Harare hotel and arrested nine members of the ZCTU general council who were holding a meeting, according to spokesperson Mlameni Sibanda.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said 105 people had been arrested in Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru.

The protest and police action comes after Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived on Monday "to evaluate the situation on the ground" to decide whether Mugabe should be invited to the upcoming summit for Commonwealth leaders in Nigeria.

- AFP