Teachers arrested for salaries protest, released on bail
SIXTEEN members of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) have been granted bail after spending four days in detention following their arrest on Wednesday for an “illegal” salaries protest in Harare.
Fifteen have been ordered to pay ZWL5 000 bail and report once a week at various police stations. A student has been granted free bail. The teachers were remanded out of custody to 17 February.
The ARTUZ members who include Obert Masaraure, who heads the teachers union and were charged with participating in a gathering with intention to promote public violence, bigotry and breaches of peace as defined in Section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The unionists were arrested outside the offices of the National Social Security Authority, the state-run pension fund.
They were demanding to be paid their salaries at the figures, which obtained before October 2018, when they were paid US$540 per month.
The ARTUZ leaders and members, who are represented by Idirashe Chikomba, Trust Maanda and Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
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Teachers arrested for salaries protest, released on bail
