Tomorrow is a momentous day here in Zimbabwe - and so is the day after. But will the two-day strike succeed - and is there further action in the pipeline?
I am writing this on the day before the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) calls us out onto the uncertain streets for a two-daqy national strike, so perhaps by the time you are reading this you will know the answers to the questions I'm asking
Questions like - will it succeed? Will the people take to the streets in mass protest? Will this be the spark that sets the country alight in revolt against the Mugabe regime? Or will it be, as it was back in April, just a damp squib? Will the very real threat of violence from our state militias force us to admit that peaceful protest against this government is an impossibility?
ZCTU leader Lovemore Matombo is determined that this time the protest will succeed, pointing out to me that the reason for the strike is the President's ban on wage increases for workers while he happily pays his armed police and other thugs huge bonuses and salary increments.
"This is authoritarianism at its worst," he told me. "But this two day protest is just a warm-up. Real action is coming. It will take the form of protests and demonstrations nationwide."
Is he asking his members to expose themselves to the threats and beatings which the state has habitually used to break up mass demos?
"We are aware that the government will deploy its state agents to intimidate those who will join the industrial action but we will soldier on despite these threats."
Threats there certainly have been. Mugabe talks of his armed men being ready to pull the trigger, and as usual, State Security minister Didymus Mutasa can be relied upon to weigh in with his own promise of violence. "Do you think disciplined forces like the CIO, the army and police would not listen to orders? Anyone who will misbehave this week is in for trouble," he told me.
If the buses don't run, if people respond to the ZCTU call, if the shops close and the barricades go up, then there will trouble tomorrow. All I can say, to my friends and to all the suffering people of Zimbabwe is - be careful out there.
Mr Matombo, you say the two day action is just "a warm up for real action". thats sounds not new to me and millions of people who care about Zimbabwe.
how can you call for a stay away when 70 percent of the population is jobless. who responded to you call.
MDC has abanoned that strategy.
Real action must be on the ballopt box Mr Matombo
Posted by: africa | Saturday, 22 September 2007 at 08:14
Mr Matombo, you say the two day action is just "a warm up for real action". thats sounds not new to me and millions of people who care about Zimbabwe.
how can you call for a stay away when 70 percent of the population is jobless. who responded to you call.
MDC has abanoned that strategy.
Real action must be on the ballopt box Mr Matombo
Posted by: africa | Saturday, 22 September 2007 at 08:15
unfortunately people did not take it they continued with their daily activities lets bring change through votes
Posted by: man of peace | Tuesday, 02 October 2007 at 15:46