Zimbabwe
23.10.02
Urgent Interventions
'Zimbabwe: released trade unionist faces charges under the Public Order and Security Act
Case ZWE 121002.1. ESCRC / 121002.1
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Follow-up to Case ZWE 121002 ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Zimbabwe.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), a member of the OMCT network, of the release of Raymond Majongwe, the secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
According to the information received, Raymond Majongwe has been arrested two times by the police. His first arrest on October 9 was followed by a 48-hours in police custody during which he was reportedly ill-treated. In this respect, it is reported that Mr. Majongwe appeared before the court with a torn shirt and injuries to one eye and an arm. After his release on bail on October 11, Mr. Majongwe has been re-arrested by the police on October 16 2002 and released on October 21, after the court found that the state had failed to make its case against him. It is reported that he is nevertheless due to appear in court again on October 25, after being charged under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), an act that makes it an offence for "any person who, acting in concert with one or more other persons, forcibly invades the rights of other people".
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, Raymond Majongwe was a leader of a strike launched by the PTUZ on October 8, and was arrested for his picket action, allegedly for threatening teachers who were not involved in the strike at two schools in the capital, Harare. Two other leaders of the PTUZ, Innocent Moyo and Enock Paradzayi were allegedly arrested as a result of the strike, and 627 teachers were dismissed.
It is reported that the teachers went on strike to demand a 100% pay rise that would compensate their loss of purchasing power following the inflation of the Zimbabwean currency, the Zimbabwean dollar (Z$), which is currently running at 135%. In this context, a high school teacher in Zimbabwe allegedly earn 20’000 Z$ (US$364) a month, which is much less than other civil servants.
Action Requested
Please write to the Zimbabwean authorities urging them to:
i. guarantee that Raymond Majongwe be given a fair trial before an impartial and independent civil tribunal;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial civil tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. call for the immediate reinstatement of the 627 dismissed teachers;
iv. guarantee the respect for economic, social and cultural rights and labour rights of the workers, including the right to work, the right to fair wages guaranteeing a decent living for the workers and their families, the right to form and join trade unions and the right to strike.
Addresses
. President Robert Mugabe Fax: 263 4 79 03 16 / 263 4 73 46 44.
. Home Affairs Ministry Mr. Dumiso Dabenjwa Fax: 263 4 72 67 16.
Please also write to the embassies of Zimbabwe in your respective country
Geneva, October 23rd, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Follow-up to Case ZWE 121002 ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Zimbabwe.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), a member of the OMCT network, of the release of Raymond Majongwe, the secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
According to the information received, Raymond Majongwe has been arrested two times by the police. His first arrest on October 9 was followed by a 48-hours in police custody during which he was reportedly ill-treated. In this respect, it is reported that Mr. Majongwe appeared before the court with a torn shirt and injuries to one eye and an arm. After his release on bail on October 11, Mr. Majongwe has been re-arrested by the police on October 16 2002 and released on October 21, after the court found that the state had failed to make its case against him. It is reported that he is nevertheless due to appear in court again on October 25, after being charged under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), an act that makes it an offence for "any person who, acting in concert with one or more other persons, forcibly invades the rights of other people".
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, Raymond Majongwe was a leader of a strike launched by the PTUZ on October 8, and was arrested for his picket action, allegedly for threatening teachers who were not involved in the strike at two schools in the capital, Harare. Two other leaders of the PTUZ, Innocent Moyo and Enock Paradzayi were allegedly arrested as a result of the strike, and 627 teachers were dismissed.
It is reported that the teachers went on strike to demand a 100% pay rise that would compensate their loss of purchasing power following the inflation of the Zimbabwean currency, the Zimbabwean dollar (Z$), which is currently running at 135%. In this context, a high school teacher in Zimbabwe allegedly earn 20’000 Z$ (US$364) a month, which is much less than other civil servants.
Action Requested
Please write to the Zimbabwean authorities urging them to:
i. guarantee that Raymond Majongwe be given a fair trial before an impartial and independent civil tribunal;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial civil tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. call for the immediate reinstatement of the 627 dismissed teachers;
iv. guarantee the respect for economic, social and cultural rights and labour rights of the workers, including the right to work, the right to fair wages guaranteeing a decent living for the workers and their families, the right to form and join trade unions and the right to strike.
Addresses
. President Robert Mugabe Fax: 263 4 79 03 16 / 263 4 73 46 44.
. Home Affairs Ministry Mr. Dumiso Dabenjwa Fax: 263 4 72 67 16.
Please also write to the embassies of Zimbabwe in your respective country
Geneva, October 23rd, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply