Zimbabwe Union Leaders Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe Arrested

On 8 May 2008, Lovermore Matombo, President of ZCTU and Wellington Chibebe, Secretary General of ZCTU, handed themselves into the police as they were charged with ‘communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.’ These charges were in wake of speeches made during May Day celebrations

Amnesty International considers that these arrests as part of a wider crackdown targeting human rights defenders, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, election observers and opposition activists in the wake of the elections which took place on 29 March 2008. Amnesty International believes they were arrested purely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and that they are prisoners of conscience.

Background information

Four days after the arrest of Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe, both have been denied bail. They handed themselves in to the police on 8 May 2008 and currently remain in detention at Harare Central Remand Prison. They are being charged with “communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state,” under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] following speeches made during May Day celebrations in Harare. On 12 May they appeared before a magistrate and were denied bail. 

The repression of human rights defenders takes many forms, which have adversely affected members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). The government of Zimbabwe restricts operations of civil society through repressive legislation such as the public order and security act (POSA) and the miscellaneous Offences Act (MOA). In recent years as the government has used the law to violate defenders' rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, preventing them from freely forming organizations, meeting together and criticizing government policy. Individual defenders are arbitrarily arrested and detained, assaulted and harassed by state agents. Some have been subjected to torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. Human rights organizations are also subject to intrusive and unwarranted state surveillance of their operations.

These two leaders currently remain in detention for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Amnesty International considers that these arrests are part of a wider crackdown targeting human rights defenders, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, election observers and opposition activists in the wake of the elections which took place on 29 March 2008. Therefore, the organisation believes that they are prisoners of conscience and should be immediately and unconditionally released.

On 8 May 2008, Lovermore Matombo, President of ZCTU and Wellington Chibebe, Secretary General of ZCTU, handed themselves into the police as they were charged with ‘communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.’ These charges were in wake of speeches made during May Day celebrations

Follow up

Lovemore Matomobo and Wellington Chibebe were granted bail by a High Court judge on 19 May. According to their lawyer, they were detained at Harare Central Police Station in cells which had raw sewage flowing through them. While they were held there, from 8 to 12 May, police gave them no blankets, and threatened them with assault. On 12 May they were transferred to Harare Central Remand Prison where they were detained until 19 May.

They are charged with "communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state," in connection with speeches they made during May Day celebrations in Harare on 1 May. A Harare magistrate had refused them bail on 12 May. Their trial will begin on 23 May at Harare Magistrates' Court.

No further action is requested from the UA network: Amnesty International will continue campaigning on the men's behalf through other means. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.