SOUTH AFRICA/ZIMBABWE: South Africa's biggest union movement is planning a series of protests at Zimbabwe's embassy and border, culminating in a vigil on the eve of March 31st elections that it says will not be free or fair.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has taken a hawkish line over a crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe that has at times caused tensions with its alliance partners in South Africa's ruling African National Congress.
"Those elections are wholly being held under conditions that are not favourable to holding of free and fair elections," Congress general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said yesterday, outlining the organisation's plan of action.
Congress first announced plans to protest at the Zimbabwe election last month after officials in Harare turned back a fact-finding delegation it had sent to the country.
South Africa's government has taken a less critical public stance on Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, and has warned the union movement that any attempt to blockade the border ahead of the parliamentary vote could be illegal. Congress will picket Zimbabwe's Pretoria embassy on March 9th and 16th and demonstrate at South Africa's main land crossing to Zimbabwe on March 11th and 18th - protests which could slow or stop cross-border traffic. The union group will march to the embassy on March 23rd and its campaign will wind up with a march to the border post on March 30th culminating in an overnight vigil.
"Clearly we can see what is going to happen on 31st March.There will be a winner, and the winner is the one that has had the conditions skewed in his favour in the run-up to the elections," Mr Vavi said, referring to Mr Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.
Zimbabwe's main opposition and western governments accused Zanu-PF of rigging the last parliamentary elections in 2000 as well as Mr Mugabe's re-election two years later.
Mr Mugabe denies cheating and says he and his country are victims of a campaign by opponents, led by former colonial power Britain, to punish him for the seizure of white-owned land.