By Talent Gondo| The on going strike by Hwange Colliery worker’s wives which today enters day 101 is no longer a labour issue but political, parliament has heard.
Responding to a question by MDC legislator for Matabeleland South Misihairambwi Mushonga on what the government was doing to protect women and children who are currently camped in a tent at Hwange Colliery protesting over failure by the company to pay their husbands salaries for the past 5 years, the Labour and Social Welfare Minister revealed that the strike had been hijacked by politicians.
Minister Petronella Kagonye told parliament that she had personally talked to the women and resolved to give them maize, a pledge she had since fulfilled.
“I visited them at the tent where they are camping and heard their issues and we agreed that government would give them maize to avert hunger,” she said.
“However, after giving them the maize, they continued camping at the colliery despite agreeing that they would return to their homes.”
Minister Kagonye told parliament that she had gone a step further and re engaged the women, findings which confirmed a political agenda behind the strike.
“They told me that they were being funded by certain labour bodies and individuals who are pushing their political agendas and for the love of money, they are staying put at the Colliery,” she said.
The Labour and Social Welfare Minister however said she was ready to engage with the women and map the way forward as the strike had negative consequences on both the women and children.
“I know that they no longer sleep there (in the tent pitched at the Colliery by a wellwisher) because they go to their homes at night and come back in the morning,” she said.
Minister Kagonye’s response follows a discussion held in Harare organised by Women and Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) where a representative of the striking women alleged that the Labour minister had visited them promising to come back with assistance but had never returned.
“Minister Kagonye came and pledged food assistance but to date she has not returned,” said Thobekile Shoko.
She called on government to consider the plight of the women and children saying failure by Hwange colliery to pay its workers was depriving their children access to education, health while at the same time exposing them to societal ills including prostitution.
“Families have disintegrated because 5 years without a salary is no joke,” she said, calling on the Junta led administration to walk the talk on social protection and labour justice.
The Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee last Tuesday heard that Hwange Colliery owed its workers over US$70 million in salary arrears dating back to 2013.
Representatives of the Hwange Colliery board made a plea to government to intervene and assist the entity the same way they had bailed out Ziscosteel.