IUF
Uniting Food, Farm and Hotel Workers World-Wide
Zimbabwe: Government Intensifies Violence Against Rural Workers and Their Union GAPWUZ
Posted to the IUF website 27-Mar-2003Share this article.
Violence and intimidation against officers and members of the IUF-affiliated General Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) is intensifying in the aftermath of the successful two-day general strike which ended March 19. Since the strike began, Amnesty International reports the arrest of some 400 opposition supporters. At least one farm worker was killed after reportedly being beaten by state agents and there are widespread reports of torture and beatings. According to Amnesty, the "alarming escalation" in political violence showed that the authorities were "determined to suppress dissent by whatever means necessary, regardless of the terrible consequences".
GAPWUZ and its members have been among the main targets of violence and intimidation in the countryside, where the Mugabe government's phoney "land reform" has driven thousands of agricultural wage workers off the land and stripped them of their livelihood and their rights.
In a message we received from the union on March 26, GAPWUZ reports that on March 19, their Chinhoyi district office was burnt to the ground along with all its records. Since then, the following acts of violence and destruction have occurred:
- the husband of GAPWUZ child labour coordinator Viola Shamu was kidnapped, severely assaulted and left for dead. The couple's 11- and 4-year old children were also assaulted, and Shamu has gone into hiding;
- the Kwekwe district office was ransacked by thugs and documents confiscated;
- In Bindura, the government militia forced the union to close its office and threatened a union officer who is now in hiding;
- the Mvurwi district office was broken into and all the documents stolen;
- the Norton district office was broken into by Zanu-PF supporters.
GAPWUZ has requested the IUF to publicize these acts as widely as possible and to request affiliates to act to put mobilize international pressure on the Mugabe regime to immediately halt this campaign of violence and intimidation.
The IUF has written President Mugabe to inform him the IUF holds his government directly responsible for the safety and well being of GAPWUZ members and officers, and that we consider the government legally and financially liable for any damage to union property. We kindly request, as a matter of urgency, that you therefore ask you to publicize these events as widely as possible and that you to show solidarity with GAPWUZ and Zimbabwe's rural workers by writing to President Mugabe. A sample message is attached with this circular. follows below. Kindly send copies of any messages you might send to the IUF secretariat. We thank you in advance for your support and solidarity.
Sample Message
To: Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe
Fax: + 263 4 70 85 40/70 88 20 /70 85 57
Mr. President,
I have been informed by the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) that numerous acts of violence and intimidation have been committed against the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ). On March 19, the GAPWUZ Chinhoyi district office was burnt to the ground along with all its records. Since then, the following acts of violence and destruction have occurred:
- the husband of GAPWUZ child labour coordinator Viola Shamu was kidnapped, severely assaulted and left for dead. The couple's 11- and 4-year old children were also assaulted, and Shamu has gone into hiding;
- the Kwekwe district office was ransacked by thugs and documents confiscated;
- In Bindura, the government militia forced the union to close its office and threatened a union officer who is now in hiding;
- the Mvurwi district office was broken into and all the documents stolen;
- the Norton district office was broken into by Zanu-PF supporters.
Since in all these cases government forces or supporters were involved, your government will be held responsible for these crimes. Your government will also be held directly responsible for the safety and well being of GAPWUZ members and officers, and will considered to be legally and financially liable for any damage to union property. I call upon your government to immediately cease all attacks on GAPWUZ members, officers and property. I will continue to closely follow developments in this regard.
Sincerely,