ON 23 August 2019, members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, arrested
ten (10) people who include Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) members, their lawyer Doug Coltart and a journalist
Leopold Munhende outside a government complex in Harare.

The ARTUZ members were arrested as they engaged in a peaceful protest
dubbed “PAY FUNERAL”

Those arrested include ARTUZ President Obert Masaraure, Shepherd
Tazvivinga, Gerald Tinashe Taruvinga, Tryvine Musokeri, Andrew
Mungure, Nation Mudzitirwa, Simon Drury, Godfery Chanda, Doug Coltart
and Leopold Munhende.

They were apprehended outside the Ministry of Finance Offices in
Harare, where they intended to hand over a petition highlighting their
grievances as teachers whose salaries have been severely eroded by
inflation and the changes in monetary policy resulting in most
teachers taking home a salary of less than an equivalent of
thirty-eight United States Dollars every month.

Nine (9) of those arrested excluding Munhende (who is a journalist
arrested during the course of his work) have since been charged with
committing ‘Criminal Nuisance’ as provided in section 46 of the
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and are detained at Harare
Central Police Station.

The nine are represented by Blessing Nyamaropa, Tinomuda Shoko and
Beatrice Mtetwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Munhende has since been released. -ZLHR