Three Shabanie mine workers were shot and injured by riot police in Zvishavane on Friday, during a peaceful demonstration over a salary and ownership dispute with management.

Hundreds more were injured in a stampede when the heavily armed riot police also fired teargas at the striking workers. 30 others were arrested and are being detained at Zvishavane police station.

Tichaona Chivasa, a lawyer representing the injured victims and those arrested, told SW Radio Africa that over a thousand mine workers were staging a peaceful sit-in protest when police opened fire on them and their families just after 7am.

He said the condition of the three men who had been shot was serious but stable. Although they had been taken to hospital they were receiving no medical help. Chivasa said doctors at the district hospital were too afraid to treat the gunshot victims because of threats from state security agents.

'The doctors need an incident report from the police to treat the victims. This document gives government doctors permission to treat gunshot victims. Obviously this incident has turned political because CIO's are roaming the hospital and this has instilled fear in the medical staff,' Chivasa said.

The lawyer named the victims as Alois Zhou, Taurai Zhou and Simbarashe Mashuku. He said Alois sustained a gunshot wound to the hand while Taurai and Mashuku suffered leg wounds. Alois is also the chairman of Zvishavane town council and an MDC councillor.

'These are serious wounds, permanent wounds as explained to me by the doctors. There was not the slightest justification or provocation for this attack. These people were within the mining premises with their children and wives in solidarity,' he said.

Chivasa, who was himself detained by the police for four hours at the hospital, accused them of excessive force in dealing with the demonstrators. The workers had already been on a month long strike as, according to Chivasa, they had not been paid any salaries for the past nine months. 'I do not understand why police reacted so heavy-handedly because there was no need for them to be involved in the first place. What is worrying is that these people were not in town but within company premises and peaceful,' he said.

Chivasa added; 'What's shocking now is that the three victims, complainants in this case, are now being treated as the accused by the police. They are under police guard as if they've committed any crime. This is absurd, a clear violation of human rights by the authorities.'

The MDC meanwhile released a statement denouncing the police action and called upon the co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi, to make urgent investigations into the conduct of the 'trigger-happy policemen.'

'Today's shooting incident in Zvishavane is unacceptable in the context of the inclusive government where the culture and deportment of national security institutions have to reflect a new culture of respecting human rights and people's freedoms. The MDC is a party born from the labour movement and we believe in the sanctity of the working people's right to engage in collective job action,' the statement said.

Workers at the mine have for years been trying to find out the status of the mine, since it was taken over by government from Mutumwa Mawere, who is now in exile in South Africa.

In 2004 Mugabe's regime placed SMM Holdings (Private) limited under the control of a state appointed administrator, Arafas Gwarazimba. Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa is reportedly involved with activities at the mine as are other top government officials.

The top political hierachy reportedly make a lot of money from this asbestos mine, but the workers have not received their salaries since January.

The unprovoked shooting of the demonstrators on Friday comes in the wake of an arrest of a Kenyan environmental activist in Mutare on Thursday. Police accused Patrick Ochieng of making 'undesirable political statements' during a workshop organized by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA). Ochieng was being held at the Mutare Central Police Station as of Thursday night. Reports say he is a director of Ujamaa Center, an environmental lobbying organisation based in Nairobi.

The workshop was attended by legislators and environmental conservationists from across the country. Sources said that during discussions Ochieng criticised the methods used by the government to exploit the Chiadzwa diamond fields.