COSATU, ZCTU meet in SA

[XXPANTHAXX]

Owen Gagare

LEADERS of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and
the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU) yesterday
met in Musina, South Africa amid reports they want to
mobilise other trade unions in the region to blockade
Zimbabwe’s borders and simultaneously stage demonstrations at
Zimbabwe’s Embassies.

The demonstrations will be staged at Zimbabwe’s Embassies in
the region.

The meeting was held at the Aventura resort in Tshipise.

The meeting came a day after a 20 member COSATU delegation
was refused entry by the Zimbabwean Government.

The COSATU delegation which was on a “fact finding� mission
returned home on the same South African Airways plane, which
had brought them into the country.

In a telephone interview from South Africa, the acting COSATU
spokesman Mr Patrick Craven said his organisation had
received “a full report on the situation in Zimbabwe� from
the ZCTU and the two labour unions agreed to take action
against the Government of Zimbabwe.

“We had a very successful meeting and we received a full
report on the situation in Zimbabwe. We heard about the
political, economic and social crisis in the country. We also
debated on whether the conditions in Zimbabwe permit the
holding of free and fair elections in view of draconian laws
such as AIPPA (Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act), POSA (Public Order and Security Act), the
restrictions on the media and the opposition parties,� he
said.

“We concluded that Zimbabwe is not capable of holding free
and fair elections and so we are demanding that the elections
be postponed while the country deals with its laws. We are
also demanding that an independent Electoral Commission be
put in place instead of a situation where people are
handpicked.

“There were also proposals for action and we will mobilise
the Southern Africa Trade Unions Coordinating Council to
demonstrate against the Government of Zimbabwe in solidarity
with ZCTU. We want to block the Beitbridge Border Post and
all other ports of entry into Zimbabwe while at the same time
demonstrating at Zimbabwe’s embassies throughout the region.�

Mr Craven could not be drawn to give the date of the planned
demonstrations and blockade but said it would be some time
soon.

The planned blockade and demonstrations vindicates the
Government’s decision to expel the COSATU delegation, which
tried to bulldoze its way into the country. The Government
argued that COSATU had an ulterior motive and had
deliberately ignored following proper protocol.

The timing of the visit and the planned demonstrations and
blockade is seen as a move to tarnish the image of the
country and put it under the spotlight ahead of the March
general elections.

The decision by the officials to demonstrate against Zimbabwe
was not surprising, as it seemed to have been preplanned.
Both ZCTU and COSATU officials were quoted in sections of the
South African media saying their meeting would determine what
action to take on Zimbabwe.

“We can’t disclose the nature of the action or the timing,
lest they start rolling their machinery of repression right
away. We will take them by surprise,� ZCTU’s secretary
general, Mr Wellington Chibhebhe was quoted as saying on
Wednesday night.

COSATU secretary general, Mr Zwelinzima Vavi, who described
the Zimbabwean Government as “a brutal regime� because of the
way they were denied entry, also hinted that the union could
block the Beitbridge Border Post even before he met ZCTU
officials.

Mr Vavi also blamed the South African Labour Minister
Membathisi Mdladlana for giving “courage� to authorities in
Zimbabwe to deny them entry into the country.

Mr Mdladlana, who has been attending a meeting organised by
the African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC) in
the resort town of Victoria Falls, this week said COSATU’s
visit to Zimbabwe was pointless and likely to harm relations
between the two countries.

He condemned the planned visit and said it should be clear
that Zimbabwe was a sovereign State.

“We would have not been chucked out if he had not made that
statement. It was unfortunate,� Mr Vavi said.

Earlier in the week, the Minister of Public Service Labour
and Social Welfare, Cde Paul Mangwana said the delegation was
supposed to seek clearance with the Zimbabwean authorities
through the South African Labour Ministry before coming to
Zimbabwe.

Last year COSATU members again tried to bulldoze their way
into the country and were again deported.