Police Assault Protesting Wives of Unpaid Colliery Workers

WASHINGTON —  Representatives of the Hwange Colliery Company Workers’ Committee say police Monday forcibly broke a demonstration of about 150 women, whose husbands are employed at the state-controlled colliery and have gone for three to nine months without pay.

Four women were injured during the incident and one of them is still receiving treatment at the Hwange Colliery Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. Three were treated and discharged Monday afternoon.

The workers’ representatives, who spoke to VOA Studio 7 on condition of anonymity, said the detained women were picked-up from their homes and police are still hunting those believed to have planned the demonstrations.

Hwange Central legislator Brian Tshuma of the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Morgan Tsvangirai condemned the police saying the women had a right to demand salaries on behalf of their husbands.

Interview with Brian Tshuma

Studio 7 was unable to reach the Hwange Central Police or Hwange Colliery Company management for comment. Two weeks ago, police dispersed a demonstration by Women of Zimbabwe Arise human rights activists in Harare and Bulawayo and arrested some of them.