NEHAWU Statement In Solidarity With ARTUZ
Friday January 14, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] stands in solidarity with the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe [ARTUZ] and the working class of Zimbabwe who embarked on a peaceful protest demanding a modest salary increase.
NEHAWU holds a strong view that their demand for a living wage is a genuine one which must be acceded to by the government of Zimbabwe and that the government ought to act swiftly and address the dire economic situation in the country, which is a result of its own making.
As the working class was demonstrating peacefully, the state arrested the President of ARTU, Cde Obert Masaraure and 15 members of ARTUZ. This is a direct contravention of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which guarantees the right peaceful protests, furthermore this is a violation of their Human Rights.
We remind the Zimbabwean government that such acts are synonymous with authoritarian regimes and will be fiercely fought against by NEHAWU and COSATU like before.
NEHAWU strongly condemns the arrests of members of ARTUZ for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to protest. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested during the peaceful protests.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335
Visit NEHAWU website: www.nehawu.org.za