The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has called on the co-ministers of Home Affairs to resign their positions over the abuse of power being exercised by the police. After ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo and fours members of the union were released by a Victoria Falls magistrate, Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe issued a hard hitting statement accusing police of acting on instructions from politicians.

Chibhebhe said, 'This is not the kind of police that Zimbabweans want, but unfortunately we have to live with such. This point's to the fact that we definitely need to reform the police so that we have a professional non-partisan force. The infamous POSA clearly does not cover trade unions but the police continue to disrupt trade union activities in the name of POSA. The police should be undoubtedly ashamed of their actions."

Matombo and the four unionists were arrested on Sunday for holding consultative meetings with workers in Victoria Falls. Police claimed the leaders had violated the Public Order and Security Act by holding the meetings without police permission. The magistrate however ruled that trade unions were exempt from seeking police authority and so ordered their release. The arrests triggered condemnation from trade unions worldwide.

Activists in the country say they are more disappointed by the silence of Giles Mutsekwa, the co-home affairs Minister from the MDC-T party. Although they appreciate he does not wield as much power as his ZANU PF colleague Kembo Mohadi, they expected him to at least protest the arbitrary arrests. The basis of the MDC-T insisting on control of the Home Affairs ministry during the power sharing talks was to be able to stop their abuse of the law. Mutsekwa has so far been apparently completely unable to change the system.

Chibhebhe in his statement asked both the Ministers to resign, saying they had failed the nation by not being able to ensure the police upheld the rule of law.

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