Armed riot police yesterday stormed into the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA)âs Workington Power Station and beat up workers holding a meeting on the premises. Riot police yesterday also broke up a lunch-hour prayer meeting called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). They arrested three women while others were assaulted in the First Street Mall in Harare.
In Workington, over 70 striking ZESA workers sustained serious injuries after they were beaten up and others were injured in the stampede that followed the arrival of the armed policemen. Shepherd Mandizvidza, the ZESA spokesman, however professed ignorance of the police action. But he said: âPersonally, I think the police are well positioned to justify why they took that decision.â Mandizvidza said He said according to the Labour Court order issued on 23 May, the workers should have returned to work while their representatives and management negotiated. Some workers had returned to work âunder protestâ after their strike was declared illegal at the end of last week. They met in Harare yesterday to discuss the Labour Court ruling.
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