Posted on 03/17/2002 7:14:37 AM PST by Clive
ZIMBABWE faces a crippling month- long job stayaway by the country's workers who feel the 78-year-old Robert Mugabe cheated his way into office in last week's presidential election, The Standard has learnt.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) confirmed to The Standard on Friday that it was under pressure from workers to act swiftly against what they termed "Mugabe's stolen victory".
While ZCTU president, Lovemore Matombo, refused to confirm the starting date and duration of the proposed mass action for fear of strong arm tactics by government, reliable sources said it could start as early as this later this month. The Standard is also reliably informed that several industrialists have expressed solidarity with the impending ZCTU action and have agreed to pay their workers their full wages for the duration of the stayaway.
Matombo said workers want immediate action against Mugabe.
"We are consulting various stake holders. The workers want action now. They are demanding that we act now in defence of the existing labour force which is being threatened by the government," said Matombo.
Reacting to the breaking up of their executive meeting by police on Thursday, the ZCTU president said: "The purpose of our meeting was to discuss peace after the elections. There is a lot of tension because of the outcome and we wanted to tell workers to remain calm, but we were denied the chance by the police.
"Our freedom of expression and association was curtailed by the police, and whatever happens will be the creation of the state-they can't blame us."
He said the ZCTU was not advocating a showdown with government, but was merely carrying out its mandate as the representative of the workers.
Zimbabweans were shocked when on Wednesday it was announced that President Mugabe of Zanu PF had romped to victory with a 56% majority in an election in which his chief rival, the MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai, was expected to have won comfortably. Several opinion polls conducted prior to the election had pointed to an MDC victory, but a massive rigging exercise carried the day for Zanu PF.
According to official figures from the registrar-general's office, there was a voter turnout of between 70 and 80% in rural areas, while urban areas recorded a lowly voter turnout of 40%. These figures have been widely disputed as many areas of Harare were known to have been characterised by long queues of anxious voters while the polling period had to be extended by a day in Harare and Chitungwiza.
Professor Masipula Sithole of the Mass Public Opinion said because of the controversy surrounding Mugabe's re- election, a reaction from workers was inevitable.
"The possibility is always there unless a miracle happens. But the economy is in a mess-if it is not corrected the people will express their anger," he said.
Lovemore Madhuku, the chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, said his organisation did not recognise Mugabe's victory.
"We have rejected the election and we are calling for mass action to push for a new constitution because everything about the election hinges on the constitution," said Madhuku.
Apart from local pressure, Mugabe has been roundly criticised by the international community for refusing to conduct a transparent and fair election. Notable countries and organisations that have dismissed the election as a fraud include the United States, Britain, the European Union, the Commonwealth, Australia and New Zealand.
The Zimbabwean leader has, however, received recognition from his allies such as China, Libya, the African Union, and the Sadc Ministerial Task Force.
President Thabo Mbeki of South African is yet to make his position clear, although his deputy, Jacob Zuma, expressed solidarity with Zanu PF when he visited Zimbabwe last week.
This sort of answers my question on an earlier thread.
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