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Unfair, and unkind suspension

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Eddson Chakuma is a Trade Unionist who was arrested with Munyaradzi Gwisai for attending a meeting to discuss the political events in Egypt. Following his release on bail, Eddson Chakuma was suspended from his job at the United Food & Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe due to the time he missed from work when he was imprisoned. He now has no way to sustain himself.

Please narrate the events leading up to your suspension?
The three of us who had presented (at the meeting) myself another student representative and another lecturer were beaten so that we would testify that we were planning to subvert a Constitutional government. After that we were taken to court and placed on remand. On the 17th of March we were placed on two thousand dollars bail. I returned to work after my release and worked for almost a week. I was told to write a report about my continuous absence from work. I wrote it, explaining how I was arrested for attending an educational programme at Zimbabwe Labour Centre. Two days after submitting my report I was informed that I was to attend a hearing concerning my misconduct. Up to now I’m waiting for the verdict of the hearing.

What was your presentation about?
My presentation was about the problems of the workers. I talked about the how dollarization has adversely affected pension schemes. Workers who have worked for almost 30 years were given small amounts of pension. Pension houses were saying that their savings had been eroded by inflation. Another problem is casualisation, which is rampant in industry, as well as subcontracting.

In your opinion was any of what happened in that meeting an attempt to subvert a constitutional government?

There was nothing like that. We had been talking about the problems of the workers, the lessons which we learnt from the revolutions happening in Egypt and Tunisia vis-a-vis capitalism, socialism and imperialism. There was no plan to subvert the government. It wasn’t about the government, but about capitalism, imperialism and socialism, which have to go if Zimbabwe or even Africa is to come out of capitalism.

Then how do you feel about your detention?
It pained me. I was subjected to torture. Even when I told them what I had presented they kept on torturing me, they wanted me to say something that we didn’t plan or do.

Are you angry?

Sure I’m angry! If you face a situation where your colleagues don’t visit you in prison, they don’t support you financially. After coming out of prison where I’m facing a treason charge, which has a penalty of death or life imprisonment and somebody cuts your salary, suspends you and makes you write a report…it’s devastating. That person wants you to suffer more than what you have already suffered.

How has your detention affected your family?

When we were arrested it was toward the end of the month. My wife had to run around to look for money for utility bills, transport to visit me in prison… this was a big problem.

Judging from the hearing you had last week, do you feel hopeful that your suspension will be reversed?

I think there’s a 50-50 chance. The panel that was there was questionable. I’ve worked with some of the guys on the panel before and find it unfair that they put a panel of guys whom I’ve worked with and have at times had clashes with in terms of being voted into some posts. For me to become a unionist I had to battle it out with some of the guys who were on that panel.

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