INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)
Zimbabwe: General Secretary of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) arrested
Brussels, 16 May 2008 (ITUC OnLine): Pressure is high for trade unionists in Zimbabwe. Raymond Majongwe, the General
Secretary of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and a member of the General Council of the ZCTU, has
been arrested while ZCTU President Lovemore Motombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibebe are still in detention.
Raymond Majongwe was apprehended by the police at the High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare today while he was attending the
bail hearing of Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe. According to the information received, his arrest might be
linked to PTUZ material concerning the violence and harassment of teachers at their workplaces during the current wave
of political violence in the country.
Zimbabwe has an obligation to include a representative of the most representative workers’ organization in this country
to the 97th session of the International Labour Conference beginning on 28 May 2008. As the leaders of the ZCTU, the
most representative international trade union organisation in Zimbabwe, Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe should
be freed in order that they may fulfill their role as part of the Zimbabwe delegation.
The international trade union movement is monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe very closely, will report this new arrest
to the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, and is seriously considering bringing the matter of trade union
repression to other
supervisory bodies of the ILO. The ITUC has appealed to its affiliates and partners of the ITUC around the world,
including Amnesty International, to call for the immediate release of all detained trade unionists.
In a letter sent to the authorities, http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Arrest_of_PTUZ_GS_-_15-05-08.pdf , the ITUC
strongly urges President Mugabe to immediately release Mr. Lovemore Motombo, Mr. Wellington Chibebe and Raymond Majongwe
and drop all charges against them.
The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. Website:
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