ZCTU, COSATU lobby SAUCC ahead of 2008 presidential election (20-07-07)

t country.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions deputy president Lucia Matibenga, and secretary general Wellington Chibhebhe held a bilateral meeting with their Confederations of South African Trade Unions counterparts to discuss these among other issues.

“The two federations committed themselves to campaign for a negotiated settlement and the current SADC intervention to achieve this goal. We want a democratic process involving civil society, to draw up a new, progressive constitution and free and fair elections,” COSATU said in a statement.

The organisation called on the Zimbabwe government of Zimbabwe to engage labour and business to map out ways of finding a solution to the latest crisis that has seen shops run out of essential commodities following government’s order to shops to halve their prices, in a move aimed at arresting runaway inflation.

The resultant shortages have fuelled the exodus of Zimbabweans especially to neighbouring South Africa, with reports that about 5 000 enter the country illegally per week.

“The government’s price control measures have only worsened the plight of the poor majority. The manner in which the price cuts have been carried out is a disaster. We call on the Zimbabwean government to admit there is a crisis, call of their short term populist actions and actively co-operate with the SADC process,” COSATU urged- CAJ News.