Only a few placard-waving workers yesterday marched through the streets of Harare, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Gweru, Chinhoyi and Mutare demonstrating against the poor state of the economy and the decision by government to push for a salary freeze.
BY OBEY MANAYITI/HAZVINEI MWANAKA
Thousands had been anticipated to turn up, but this did not happen.
Although the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions officials conceded that the number of workers who participated could have been more had it not been for fake fliers misinforming people that the demonstrations had been called off, they said the demonstration was nevertheless successful.
There was no police interference during the march in Harare which started along Jason Moyo Street up to Fourth Street before turning to Mukwati Building which houses the offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Much to the surprise of many, there was little police presence along the way as the demonstrators marched along, singing and dancing with few interludes of solidarity speeches from the workers.
Police details manning the streets did not bother to interfere with the demonstration, acting as if nothing was happening. Curiously, however there was heavy police presence across town, along Nelson Mandela Avenue where MDC-Ts’ headquarters, Harvest House is located.
Very few people joined the original group of demonstrators from the streets as the majority of onlookers seemed uninterested, going about their business.
Of particular interest was the disinterest shown by the demonstrators at the arrival of a group of youths who came wearing T-shirts bearing messages calling for the release of missing activist Itai Dzamara.
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There was a brief exchange of harsh words before the group calling for Dzamara’s release left the march at Mukwati Building.
The demonstrators, however failed to hand over their petition to the minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Priscah Mupfumira as the entrance to her offices was closed it being a weekend. ZCTU president George Nkiwane said they would make a follow up and hand over the petition on Monday. “This is a historical day for us in that it has never happened that workers walk through the streets of Harare peacefully,” said Nkiwane.
“The government must not panic when workers say they want to demonstrate. We want a government which is responsive to the people’s needs. We are the true workers whose quest is to see a better Zimbabwe with quality health services, good education and service delivery.”
Nkiwane said Zanu PF fights have had a huge bearing on workers who have been heavily disenfranchised by the nasty fights to control power.
ZCTU also called for action to be taken against those fingered in corruption by the auditor general’s audit reports. In Masvingo, ZCTU Southern region chairperson, Wunganai Manatse said the low attendance was a result of fake press releases that were advising people that the march had been cancelled.
“We expected quite a number of people to come, around 200 to 300 people but only about 60 people turned up. Earlier in the morning there were fake press releases around town suggesting that we had cancelled the demonstrations, but this was not so,” Manatse said.
The fake press release read: “The ZCTU regrettably seeks to advise workers that the demonstrations that were pencilled for 11 April 2015 have been cancelled. The latest development has been necessitated by the lack of consensus among the affiliate labour unions on whether workers should engage or not in the demonstrations or re-engage government and employers in a Tripartite Negotiation Forum.”
The few protestors in Masvingo marched under heavy police watch to Benjamin Burombo building which houses several government ministries to deliver their petition to the resident minister Shuvai Mahofa.
