Workers heed one-day

Zimbabwean workers on Wednesday heeded a one-day stay-away call by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in protest against intimidation and violence at farms occupied by liberation war veterans and supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party.

News reports said that with the exception of government offices, banks, shops and factories were closed and the streets deserted in the capital, Harare, and the country’s two other major cities, Bulawayo and Masvingo as farmers, workers and the political opposition delivered a broadly based challenge to President Robert Mugabe.

Nomore Sibanda, a ZCTU spokesman told IRIN that the trade union federation called the action to highlight problems facing farmworkers. “If the intimidation and violence against farmworkers on occupied land does not stop, more mass action might be called,” Sibanda said.

He said although farm owners supported the workers action, ZCTU is not in a coalition with the farmers. “The issue of intimidation and violence is of concern to all Zimbabweans. The farmers are also directly affected as their properties have been vandalised and their operations disrupted by the invaders,” Sibanda said.

Sibanda said ZCTU, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and other civic groups consulted on the nature of the action to demonstrate concern over the breakdown of the rule of law in the country. He added that ZCTU will retain its autonomy and will communicate with other Zimbabwean groups over issues affecting everyone. “There is no formal structure between ZCTU and farmers and we will maintain our independence,” said Sibanda.

At least 31 people, including five white farmers, died and thousands were left homeless in violence ahead of the June parliamentary elections which were won by President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party by a narrow margin. Most of the victims were opposition supporters of the MDC which won 57 of the 120 contested seats.

War veterans and their supporters have illegally occupied more than 1,600 white-owned farms since February after the ruling ZANU-PF party lost a constitutional referendum that would have extended Mugabe’s powers. Mugabe, however, has refused to order the invaders to leave the properties, saying their actions are a justified protest against unfair white ownership of land.