THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has called on
workers to stay at home, claiming they had received several reports of workers
being harassed at army and police-manned checkpoints and failing to get
transport to work due to shortages of Zupco buses.
ZCTU president Peter Mutasa yesterday said workers were
facing a number of challenges for them to get to work and should only report
for duty after the government fully lifts the movement restrictions and
provides adequate transport.
“What we are saying is that going to work is now a risk
vocation. We are also saying workers should not endanger themselves by waking
up early because they would need to find transport to go to work, risking their
lives to robbers and humiliation at the hands of security forces, who are
asking them to go back home,” Mutasa said.
He said they had received several reports of workers who
are claiming harassment at checkpoints.
“We are urging workers everywhere to go to work when they
are safe and when the government wants them to do so. This is so because, at
the moment it is the government which is telling the government workers not to
go to work,” Mutasa said.
His call comes at a time when workers are struggling to
find transport to go to work, due to shortages of Zupco buses.
The situation further deteriorated over the last two days
following claims that the buses had no fuel to transport passengers.
Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (Paz) president Tafadzwa
Goliati yesterday said government should also allow private players to ferry
people in order to ease the transport problems.
“We want private players to carry people. We cannot be held
to ransom by one player. We want people to travel on time. We should learn from
our neighbours in South Africa on the way they are doing it. The Zupco monopoly
is not productive. We are receiving reports from across the country about the
transport challenges.
“Passengers need to have options. Our rights are being
infringed upon. They drive their own cars, but we can’t do anything. People are
forced to hike in lorries and are breaking the social distancing rules in line
with the lockdown regulations. Crime rate is going to go up because those who
were employed by kombis, no longer have anything to do,” Goliati said.
Harare plunged into chaos on Tuesday after thousands of
people were left stranded, owing to transport blues, which forced several
people to walk home.
This is also happening at a time when security forces on
Monday barred thousands of people from entering the Harare central business
district (CBD).
This also happened in Bulawayo on Tuesday, before the same
reports were made in Kwekwe yesterday. The police are on record saying that the
operation was in line with the government’s lockdown regulations. Daily News
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