OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Sunday 8.00PM.
FAMILIES of Zimbabwean soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been prevented from protesting outside President Robert Mugabe’s offices in Harare.
Family members said at the weekend that Central Intelligence Organisation agents had threatened them. “We were harassed by youths at night who told us that all those who oppose the deployment of soldiers in Congo are supporters of the rebels and friends of South Africa,” said the mother of one soldier who was among the latest batch of troops dispatched to the DRC.
“I don’t want my son to die in Congo. Mugabe must bring back our children,” another woman said.
Around 2800 Zimbabwean troops are now estimated to have been sent to DRC, with more waiting to go. The Zimbabwean goverment claims two soldiers have been killed, but independent reports say the figure is closer to 50 and rising, and that Zimbabwean army chiefs underestimated the strength of the DRC rebels.
Mugabe said on state-run TV last week that President Nelson Mandela and other Southern African Develoment Community leaders who refused to send troops to fight for DRC President Laurent Kabila are “hypocrites”.
Neither Mugabe nor Kabila is attending the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Durban, where the DRC conflict is dominating the agenda. Kabila was reported to have flown to Zimbabwe at the weekend to “thank” Mugabe for his support.
Meanwhile Mugabe faces other trouble at home. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions on Saturday gave his government until Wednesday to agree to labour demands to scrap harsh state taxes or face a five-day strike.
Addressing a news conference in Harare, ZCTU secretary-general Morgan Tsvangirai said the deadline hinged on the outcome of a meeting scheduled for Wednesday between government, ZCTU and business.
Tsvangirai, speaking at the end of the union’s general council meeting, said: “We expect the government to use this opportunity to deliver the goods, but if that fails we will announce the dates of the stayaway.”
ZCTU wants the government to scrap the 2,5% sales tax, 15% tax on pensions, 5% development levy and also reduce state expenditure.
Last December and in March this year, ZCTU staged two successful anti-tax strikes which saw most of Zimbabwe’s entire labour force staying at home.
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