![[ZIMBABWE] Backyard shacks in Harare's Mbare high-density suburb.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/200382116.jpg.webp?itok=ZfBEsLdJ "Water cuts raise the spectre of disease outbreaks")
Police foiled a nationwide anti-government protest by the country's largest labour federation when they arrested union, civic society and opposition party leaders, among others.
A Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) spokesman in the capital, Harare, told IRIN that at least 500 people were taken into custody after protests were staged in 34 urban centres nationwide, including the capital and the second city, Bulawayo.
"We hear most of our leadership, including [secretary-general] Wellington Chibhebhe and [president] Lovemore Matombo have been arrested, together with others," said ZCTU regional spokesperson Percy Mcijo.
The authorities had warned the demonstrations were declared illegal and would be stopped. About 2,000 uniformed and plainclothes police were deployed on the capital's streets. An IRIN correspondent witnessed armed police severely beating demonstrators with batons after they had been ordered to sit down in the road at the starting point of the Harare protest.
Among other leaders arrested were Lucia Matibenga, a ZCTU vice-president and women's affairs chairperson of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, prominent MDC members Grace Kwinje and Ian Makoni, and the leader of the teachers' union, Raymond Majongwe. Mike Suburi, a correspondent with the Reuters news service, was also detained.
Alec Muchadehama, the lawyer representing those arrested, said police refused to say what, if any, charges had been laid against his clients.
The National Students Union, which is also planning protests against escalating tuition fees, said in a statement, "We are disappointed to note that government is prepared to kill people in order to silence their sombre cries from hunger and starvation, emanating from meagre salaries that do not meet the poverty datum line."
There were no reports of any fatalities during the protests.
ZCTU's demands include a living wage for workers, access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV-positive people, and that police immediately stop the "harassment of informal economy workers".
Zimbabwe is experiencing an economic meltdown, with unemployment in excess of 70 percent and inflation hovering at 1,000 percent annually.
In Harare the protesters had planned to petition the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe, as well as the labour and finance ministries, while in other centres they were to march to their respective labour relations offices.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told IRIN that they had arrested at least 15 workers in Harare, and at least the same number in Bulawayo.
"We made an early warning that the demonstrations were illegal, and that workers should not be part of them. But some thought they could outplay the police," he said.
Economic analyst Eric Block said besides the heavy police presence that deterred many from taking part, "many people are self-employed, and it is difficult for such people to demonstrate because they fear they will lose out on business, even if the demos are just for a few minutes - every penny counts to them. It's like they are their own employers, so they have no one to demonstrate against."
The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a group of civic and nongovernmental organisations, "unreservedly" condemned the mass arrests, and said it would be "staging massive demonstrations across Zimbabwe in the coming week" in retaliation. It accused the government of "acts of intimidation and primitive repression".
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A Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) spokesman in the capital, Harare, told IRIN that at least 500 people were taken into custody after protests were staged in 34 urban centres nationwide, including the capital and the second city, Bulawayo.
"We hear most of our leadership, including [secretary-general] Wellington Chibhebhe and [president] Lovemore Matombo have been arrested, together with others," said ZCTU regional spokesperson Percy Mcijo.
The authorities had warned the demonstrations were declared illegal and would be stopped. About 2,000 uniformed and plainclothes police were deployed on the capital's streets. An IRIN correspondent witnessed armed police severely beating demonstrators with batons after they had been ordered to sit down in the road at the starting point of the Harare protest.
Among other leaders arrested were Lucia Matibenga, a ZCTU vice-president and women's affairs chairperson of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, prominent MDC members Grace Kwinje and Ian Makoni, and the leader of the teachers' union, Raymond Majongwe. Mike Suburi, a correspondent with the Reuters news service, was also detained.
Alec Muchadehama, the lawyer representing those arrested, said police refused to say what, if any, charges had been laid against his clients.
The National Students Union, which is also planning protests against escalating tuition fees, said in a statement, "We are disappointed to note that government is prepared to kill people in order to silence their sombre cries from hunger and starvation, emanating from meagre salaries that do not meet the poverty datum line."
There were no reports of any fatalities during the protests.
ZCTU's demands include a living wage for workers, access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV-positive people, and that police immediately stop the "harassment of informal economy workers".
Zimbabwe is experiencing an economic meltdown, with unemployment in excess of 70 percent and inflation hovering at 1,000 percent annually.
In Harare the protesters had planned to petition the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe, as well as the labour and finance ministries, while in other centres they were to march to their respective labour relations offices.
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told IRIN that they had arrested at least 15 workers in Harare, and at least the same number in Bulawayo.
"We made an early warning that the demonstrations were illegal, and that workers should not be part of them. But some thought they could outplay the police," he said.
Economic analyst Eric Block said besides the heavy police presence that deterred many from taking part, "many people are self-employed, and it is difficult for such people to demonstrate because they fear they will lose out on business, even if the demos are just for a few minutes - every penny counts to them. It's like they are their own employers, so they have no one to demonstrate against."
The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a group of civic and nongovernmental organisations, "unreservedly" condemned the mass arrests, and said it would be "staging massive demonstrations across Zimbabwe in the coming week" in retaliation. It accused the government of "acts of intimidation and primitive repression".
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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