COSATU pushes ahead with Zim border blockade

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is to blockade Zimbabwe's borders early next month as part of an intensive protest campaign to press for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe on 31 March, an official told IRIN.

COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven said the union would also picket and demonstrate at the Zimbabwean High Commission offices in Pretoria in the next few weeks. The campaign was endorsed by COSATU's central executive committee at a meeting this week.

Earlier this month the labour federation called for postponement of elections until an independent electoral commission had been established; controversial legislation on human rights and the media - the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Privacy Act (AIPA) - had been scrapped; concerns over the voters' roll had been addressed; and the government abides by the rule of law and ceases harassing the labour movement, among other issues.

"It looks certain now that the Zimbabwean government will hold elections on 31 March, irrespective of the protest from whoever, including SADC [the Southern African Development Community]. In that case, Zimbabwe will be plunged into even deeper levels of crisis, with citizens losing hope of the use of normal electoral amd democratic processes," COSATU's committee said in a statement on Thursday.

COSATU has warned that Zimbabweans might resort to violence.

South Africa's Foreign Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, hinted earlier this week that border blockades by COSATU would not be allowed. "The government's reaction will be governed by our own laws and regulations. South Africa is a law abiding state - we will deal with the matter according to the laws of this country," she said at a press briefing.

When asked about Dlamini-Zuma's comments, Craven said, "The laws enshrined in the constitution give us the right to hold demonstrations."

The campaign has been prompted by the Zimbabwean authorities' decision to expel a second 18-member COSATU "fact-finding" mission earlier this month. Its first "solidarity" trip to Zimbabwe in October 2004 also ended abruptly when the group was deported.

Zimbabwe has not yet invited SADC observers to the elections, reflecting the government's "intransigence", said the labour body.

COSATU's general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, reportedly called on the SADC to "do everything they can" to send a team to Zimbabwe during the election run-up. The South African Press Association quoted him as saying, "Better late than never."

Dlamini-Zuma had earlier this week remarked, "We will be concerned if SADC is not invited to observe the elections - we do, however, hope the invitation will materialise." She noted that, "The SADC guidelines do not compel any country to invite observers ahead of their elections - there could just be internal observers ... A SADC country cannot be taken to court for not complying with the SADC guidelines."

Meanwhile, a South African daily newspaper, The Beeld, reported on Thursday that the SADC secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana, had received a letter from the South African department of foreign affairs on Tuesday, apparently stating that "the issue of the legal experts' visit should not be followed up".

Foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa denied any knowledge of the letter. "As far as we know we have asked the [SADC] secretariat to put together a team of observers, including legal experts from the region. As soon as the team is ready, they can go to Zimbabwe," he told IRIN.

The newspaper quoted SADC spokeswoman Esther Kanaimba as saying that the secretariat "has no power" to send a legal team to Zimbabwe and were now waiting for orders from South Africa, which chairs the Community's Organ on Defence, Security and Politics.

"We throw the ball in their [South Africa's] court and they throw it back. We can't do anything without their go-ahead," Kanaimba was quoted as saying.