PRESS STATEMENT FROM YOUTH ADVOCACY FOR REFORM & DEMOCRACY (YARD)
29 December 2015

Youth Advocacy for Reform & Democracy roundly condemns the recent unlawful and wanton incarceration and barbaric assault by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police of Obert Masaraure, Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ) President and YARD National Committee Member for Information and Publicity and the inhumane treatment and torture suffered by Pride Mukono, RTUZ Programmes Officer.
We stand in solidarity with the thousands of teachers and civil servants who have been indiscriminately robbed of their pittance deemed salaries and bonuses and the opportunity to enjoy their festive season and indeed to indulge in the bare necessities of life.
We keenly await the judgement in this matter and our prayer is that the Judiciary will finally show its teeth in dealing with issues of this nature and in line with the constitution pertaining to freedom of expression.
It is indeed another sad, dark day in Zimbabwe where the masses suffer and bear the brunt of another’s heartlessness and inconsideration. We abhor such violent practices perpetrated by the police and the withholding of people’s hard earned salaries and lawfully due bonuses. The ruling party and Government must be accountable and speedily intervene to avert this crisis rather than waste their time senselessly fighting each other, they must instead channel their energies to the people who put them into these positions of power. We urge Vice President Mphoko to comment on the delayed salaries and bonuses debacle instead of basking in his four (4) million United States dollar home after a year of squandering hundreds of thousands of dollars residing in a hotel for the past year. Imagine the number of households that that money could have made a difference to…..?
For and on behalf of Youth Advocacy for Reform & Democracy (YARD).