ZIMBABWEAN authorities on Tuesday 18 December 2018 arrested 14 leaders and members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), who were staging an anti-government protest over poor salaries and unfavourable working conditions.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members led by Superintendent Makunike arrested the 14 ARTUZ leaders and members in Ruwa, just outside Harare as they marched from Mutare to Harare, where they intend to camp and picket at Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube’s office to demand payment of their salaries in foreign currency and the full payment of their 2018 annual bonuses.
The protesting teachers, who are represented by Tinomuda Shoko and Kossam Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, were detained at Harare Central Police Station and advised that they would be charged with failing to notify the regulatory authority (ZRP) about their protest dubbed “Salary Caravan”.
The arrest of the ARTUZ leaders and members is the second one in less than one week after ZRP first arrested nine protesting teachers on Saturday 15 December 2018 in Macheke, Mashonaland East province and detained them at Marondera Central Police Station. On Monday 17 December 2018, State prosecutors set free the teachers after declining to prosecute them, leaving them to proceed with their march to Harare, where they planned to demonstrate at Ncube’s offices to press for payment of their salaries in foreign currency and improved working conditions.
Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
