Two South African-based trade unionists were deported from Zimbabwe on Wednesday, the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said.
”The two … were deported soon after arriving at the Harare International Airport at 12.30pm,” said ZCTU secretary general Wellington Chibebe.
”After being cleared and about to leave the airport, they were followed by immigration officials who demanded that they produce ‘security clearance letters’ from the Ministry of Labour.”
Bobby Marie and Vihemina Prout did not have such letters and were therefore sent back, Chibebe said.
”The immigration officials said they had specific instructions that anyone who comes to see the ZCTU should have a clearance letter from the Labour Ministry.”
He said the two travelled to Zimbabwe at the instruction of the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council, of which Marie and Prout are members.
They were expected to hold talks with the ZCTU on the establishment of a trade union school in Zimbabwe that was supposed to start in May 2005, he said.
Chibebe said the ZCTU had learnt with great shock of the deportation.
”The latest deportation confirms that we are under siege. Our friends cannot have access to us,” he said.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions, which is a member of SATUCC, has condemned the deportation.
Marie and Prout were attempting to help the Zimbabwe trade unions to organise education courses, said Cosatu’s spokesperson Patrick Craven.
”This is yet another example of the Zimbabwe government’s disrespect for basic human rights and its intolerance of trade union activity,” he said.
Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu’s general secretary, is SATUCC’s president.
He and 19 others were stopped from entering Zimbabwe last week. – Sapa