US embassy cable - 04HARARE578

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New Charges of Labor Harassment

Identifier: 04HARARE578
Wikileaks: View 04HARARE578 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2004-04-05 13:05:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: ELAB PHUM ETRD ECON EINV PGOV ZI Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
UNCLAS HARARE 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
USDOC FOR AMANDA HILLIGAS 
PASS USTR FLORIZELLE LISER 
STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON 
 
E. O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PHUM, ETRD, ECON, EINV, PGOV, ZI, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) 
SUBJECT: New Charges of Labor Harassment 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions 
(ZCTU) alleges pro-Government groups are stepping up 
repression of labor leaders.  End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) ZCTU cited two recent cases in press statements: 
 
- On March 25, an unnamed caller invited Progressive 
Teachers Union Secretary General Raymond Majongwe to pick 
up documents in a Harare suburb.  Fearing a set-up, 
Majongwe sent his driver instead.  A second car trailed 
Majongwe's for some time and finally tried to ram the 
vehicle on the driver's side.  The ZCTU alleges the 
second car's occupants later observed Majongwe was not 
the driver and sped away. 
 
- On March 27, fifty youths invaded the residence of 
Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Workers Union Secretary 
General Charles Gumbo.  After learning that Gumbo was not 
home, they ransacked the residence.  The gang held 
Gumbo's wife and three children hostage for a time. 
Although the gang stole several belongings - cell phone, 
car radio, etc - and did not raise Gumbo's union 
affiliation, ZCTU officials believe it was not a 
burglary.  In any event, the large number of invaders is 
unusual for a routine break-in. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment: Evidence linking authorities to the 
attacks is sketchy and inconclusive.  Since both involved 
secretaries general and happened within a two-day span, 
 
SIPDIS 
however, Zimbabwean labor leaders are now observing more 
precautions than usual.  We will follow and report on 
subsequent developments. 
 
Sullivan 

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