A slow simmer may reach boiling point

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has resolved to embark on crippling strikes if employers, including the government, do not award workers salaries pegged against the bare necessity of the 'poverty datum line'. The resolution was one of several adopted at the labour body's sixth congress, held over the weekend. ZCTU president Lovemore Matombo told IRIN that workers were now left with no option but to confront the government. "We have resolved that the only way the government can understand the hardships that workers are experiencing is through street demonstrations. If employers do not award workers wages pegged against the poverty datum line, we will certainly go into the streets and unleash crippling demonstrations," said Matombo. Inflation has now shot to 1,042 percent and is still climbing as the economic meltdown continues, putting Zimbabwe's rapidly dwindling working class in an ever more precarious position. On average, workers earn about Zim$15 million (US$148) a month, way below the Zim$42 million (US$415) an average Zimbabwean family needs to meet its most basic monthly needs. Opposition MDC faction leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who cut his political teeth as secretary-general of the ZCTU, has called for a "cold season of democratic resistance" against living conditions in the country. The workers' resolution has added to the growing list of organisations that have either supported calls for demonstrations against the government or defied the authorities. Farm workers have announced that they will down tools next week, after complaining that their new employers, mainly senior government and military officials, were only paying them a monthly wage of Zim$1.3 million (US$12.80), while they were demanding Zim$10 million (US$98) a month. University and college students have issued an ultimatum, which expires at the end of this week, saying that if the government does not reduce tuition and examination fees, they too will take to the streets. Promise Mkwananzi, president of the Zimbabwe National Students Union, said "We will make this country ungovernable if authorities want to be stubborn. The new charges at universities virtually mean only children of the elite can afford to attend university." The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, a grouping of church organisations, last week challenged the authorities when they were barred from leading prayer processions to remember the victims of Operation Murambatsvina (Drive Out Filth), a controversial clean-up campaign launched by the government a year ago that destroyed informal settlements and trading stalls, depriving more than 700,000 people of homes and livelihoods. Despite being interrogated by state security agents, some members of the clergy managed to get a High Court order authorising them to march. But Evans Chipfere, a lecturer at one of the colleges in the capital, Harare, doubts whether people will heed calls to demonstrate. "I think as things stand, Zimbabweans have not suffered enough to make them want to take to the streets. When things really get tough, they will not need mobilising by civic society, students or labour unions - they will just go into the streets and demonstrate." Silibaziso Moyo, who works at commercial bank, agreed. "When we had the food riots in the late 1990s they were just spontaneous, and I believe if we are to have a similar situation, then I suppose it would have to happen without preparation, otherwise the authorities would easily crush any such demonstrations." According to Dumisani Shava, who runs a little shop in central Harare, few people have the courage to confront the army and police. "Our security forces are well-known for brutally putting down strikes and demonstrations. There have always been calls by so many organisations for stayaways and strikes, but people have generally ignored the calls because they know how brutal our forces can be." Secretary-general of the MDC pro-Senate faction, Welshman Ncube, said although he wished his anti-Senate colleagues well in mobilising for the demonstrations, he doubted that they would take off. "Remember, they said they wanted a short and sharp programme for democratic resistance, but I see the programme going into the summer and beyond. Remember, I have worked with some of them in the past and I doubt if they will lead from the front as they claim. Some of the leaders are very big cowards and are afraid of leading people in a demonstration." David Kasirori, an illegal fruit vendor keeping an eye open for approaching municipal officers who may want to seize his goods, believed the calls for the demonstrations would be heeded. "There are a lot of people with a lot of anger inside them," he warned. "Do you think I enjoy playing hide and seek with municipal police who always confiscate my wares? Do you think people are happy with what is taking place in the country? Do you think people are happy that the government destroyed their homes and flea markets? This time I believe people will take to the streets, and I will be one of those waiting for the signal to go into the streets."