Zimbabwe groups call strike over economic crisis
December 10, 2002, 09:45
Zimbabwean civic groups called a national strike today to protest the country's worst economic crisis in two decades, for which they blame President Robert Mugabe's government. But the police declared the strike call illegal and warned the protest would not be allowed to go ahead.
Zimbabwe is struggling with record high unemployment, inflation and crippling fuel shortages. Nearly half of the country's 14 million people face severe food shortages caused by drought and the government's controversial land redistribution programme.
The United Nations World Food Programme warned last month that Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of southern Africa, faces a shortfall of close to 200 000 tonnes of grain from between now and March 2003.
Mugabe denies responsibility for economic crisis
Mugabe has denied responsibility for the country's economic crisis and says his drive to seize white owned commercial farms for redistribution to landless blacks is aimed at correcting colonial injustices.
"We are optimistic that Zimbabweans will heed the call" to stay away from work, said Lovemore Madhuku, chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA).
"It is a protest to express the anger of the people at the current economic hardships and it is also a call for open democracy, which can only be guaranteed by a new peoples' constitution," Madhuku said.
Madhuku said the MDC and the 200 000-strong Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) support the planned strike.
The NCA, a coalition of student and church groups, political parties and rights groups, has led several such job boycotts and other protests in the past two years against a constitution which critics say Mugabe has manipulated to bolster his power.
Mugabe has amended the constitution 16 times since leading the country to independence from Britain in 1980. In March he won a presidential election condemned as fraudulent by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Western governments.
Tough security laws, which bar public gatherings and impose penalties of up to 20 years in prison, have made it difficult to mobilise workers, union leaders say.
Wayne Bvudzijena, Zimbabwe's police chief spokesperson assistant, said yesterday police authorities would not allow anybody to disturb law and order through illegal gatherings or strikes.
"The strike or protest being talked about is illegal because it is intended to disturb law and order, and we are not going to stand by while that happens," he said.
Last month police fired tear gas to disperse about 1000 NCA marchers in Harare who were demanding a new constitution. In April more than 60 activists were arrested during demonstrations against Mugabe' presidential victory.
A three-day general strike was called by the ZCTU after the March election ran out of steam on the second day. Union officials said fear of government reprisals had driven protesters back to work. - Reuters
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