Zimbabwe: Post-Election Violence Against Teachers

Education International (EI) have called upon the Zimbabwean authorities to respect human and trade union rights after receiving reports that ZANU-PF activists are threatening teachers and accusing them of voting for the opposition. These events come in the aftermath of disputed general elections held on 30 March.
Alert - Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe
Date: 16 Apr 2008
Source: Education International
Source classification: NEAR Member
Violation(s): Threats and Violence
EI has said that in some areas, teachers have been told to vacate their schools or to relocate, while others have been threatened with unspecified action. Some teachers, who were acting as polling officers during the election, have been arrested or abducted by Central Intelligent Organisation operatives. A similar situation unfolded during the 2000-02 election period when several teachers were beaten up, forced out of their schools, murdered and sexually molested by political thugs. The reports of violence against teachers is suprising, considering the calculated move to deliberately deploy teachers as polling officers, removing their right to vote. Such an effort is a blatant violation of their constitutional rights . The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has failed to release presidential election results, two weeks since the national vote. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says its leader, Morgan Tswangirai, won. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The House of Assembly elections were won by the MDC, while the Senatorial elections were split between the opposition and the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party. The results of the Presidential election have still not been announced. Education International and NEAR strongly condemn the threats and violence being perpetrated against teachers and innocent citizens in Zimbabwe. URGENT NEAR cannot continue without your support. NEAR depends on the generosity of people like you. To make a contribution, please: - Send us a cheque payable to NEAR - Or make a donation by visiting www.paypal.com. Please make your payments payable to: NEAR London South Bank University Technopark 90 London Road SE1 9LN, London, UK Email address: jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org -END-
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