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Showdown in Zimbabwe at Workers Day rally

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2001-08-29 Time: 04:34:46  Posted By: Jan

01/05/2001

Riot police in Zimbabwe descended today on a workers day rally, which turned
into a showdown between a war veteran leader and supporters of the opposition
and the traditional labour movement.

About 5000 people had gathered in Rufaro stadium in Harare’s populous
township of Mbare for the rally, which began peacefully until Jospeh
Chinotimba, a war veteran leader, tried to enter the stadium to deliver a
speech.

More than 100 supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) crowded onto the field and blocked Chinotimba from reaching the
microphone. Chinotimba and about 30 of his supporters disappeared behind the
MDC supporters, who shouted “we want peace” and shook their hands in the
open-hand wave that symbolises allegiance to MDC.

An armoured car carrying about 30 riot police rolled onto the field, and
managed to separate Chinotimba and his supporters from the rest of the crowd,
before clearing the field.

Chinotimba has spearheaded a drive to transform pro-government war veterans
into a labour movement to replace or rival the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU), which gave birth to the opposition MDC.

After police cleared the field, ZCTU continued with its rally, and Lovemore
Matombo, ZCTU president thanked the police for defusing the situation. He
also called on the government to appoint more judges to resolve labour
disputes, which frequently take years to work their way through the courts.

Chinotimba lambastes multinationals

The ZCTU ended its rally two hours early, and after it cleared the field,
police allowed Chinotimba and his followers, whose ranks had swelled to
several hundred, to take the stage. During his speech, Chinotimba listed
about 20 employers whom he said were mistreating its workers, and vowed that
his war veterans “will deal with them this week”.

The companies ranged from international electronics giant Phillips to local
matchmaker Lion Matches. His list also included the government-run telecom
and postal service, the national rail service, and the national bus company.

His speech received cheers from his own supporters, but was generally greeted
with stony silence from the thousands of people in the stands.

After the rally, another war veteran leader, Chengerai Hunzvi, denied he had
ever threatened to raid embassies and aid organisations, as he was quoted in
the independent Financial Gazette last week. – Sapa-AFP