ZCTU trial update - 27 August 2008

ZCTU trial update

The trial of Wellington Chibebe and Lovemore Matombo, the General Secretary and President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has been postponed yet again, this time until 17 September.

The two attended court on 27 August to face the allegations of 'spreading falsehoods prejudicial to the State', but the prosecutor failed to attend, meaning the trial could not go ahead.

Bail conditions of no public gatherings have been kept in force until the new trial date, further denying the men their human rights to free expression for another month, in an attempt to keep them quiet during this crucial time for the country.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The ZCTU leaders were brave enough to speak out against Mugabe's thugs and as a result the Government silenced them. The presidential re-run election was a farce, and Mugabe has already shown he isn't serious about sharing power or about listening to the true wishes of the Zimbabwean people. The trial must be abandoned and the ZCTU leaders set free, without condition.'

You can add your support for Wellington Chibebe and Lovemore Matombo online at the ITUC's solidarity site, We Are ZCTU.