ICFTU Observer Team in Zimbabwe

Date: 07 March 2002

At a time of rapidly increasing pension, an observer team from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) African regional organisation (AFRO) has been sent to Zimbabwe ahead of the presidential elections which are due to take place on 09-10 March.

The team, comprising of Andrew Kailembo, ICFTU/AFRO General Secretary, Kele Zidane, ICFTU/AFRO Trade Union Rights Director, Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of Kenyan COTU, Cunningham Ngcukan, General Secretary of South African NACTU, and a representative of the Nigerian NLC, arrived in Zimbabwe on 6 March.

In the wake of the February 16 abduction of Ephraim Tapa (a member of the General Council of the ICFTU-affiliated ZCTU) and his wife by a group of so-called 'war-veterans,' their arrival was amid a general atmosphere of intimidation, and they may still face accreditation difficulties.

Following the imposition of sanctions on President Mugabe and members of his ZANU-PF ruling party by the European Union, and with heightening international concern at the fairness of the election process, the ICFTU observers will lend support to efforts by the international community to verify the fairness of the elections.

In a further step, on 5 March, the ICFTU sent a letter to President Mugabe condemning the abduction of Ephraim Tapa and his wife, an action "which is clearly related to the violence surrounding the forthcoming elections."

Led by the ICFTU/AFRO, the international trade union movement has been highly critical of the crisis in Zimbabwe. The ICFTU-affiliated South African trade union, COSATU, has been particularly outspoken against the Mugabe regime, especially against his attempts to de-register the ZCTU.

As ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder explained, "harassment and violence have been the defining features of the electoral campaign thus far. We have repeatedly called upon Robert Mugabe to stamp out the serious violations of trade union and human rights and to guarantee an unhindered democratic process, but as the recent kidnapping of Ephraim Tapa and his wife demonstrates, he seems intent on taking another course entirely."

For further information

Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://www.icftu.org

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