UZ Lecturers Want Court To Bar Police From Breaking Up Protests
Lecturers from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) have taken the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to the High Court, asking for an order to stop the police from interfering with their protests over low pay.
The lecturers are in dispute with the university and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education over their current salaries of US$250. They’re demanding a raise to US$2,500 a month.
Last Wednesday, three lecturers were arrested while protesting at the university but were released the next day after paying US$15 fines.
Now, the Association of University Teachers (AUT) has filed a court application to stop the police from disrupting any future demonstrations.
In the application, the AUT argues that Police Commissioner Stephen Mutamba and UZ officials, named as the first and third respondents, unlawfully broke up their protest. The application reads in part:
The applicant and its members stand to suffer irreparable harm if the 1st respondent and 3rd respondents are left to continue to disregard the lawful rights of the applicant and its members to engage in lawful picketing in supporting of a lawful collective job action.
The AUT is being represented by Matika, Gwisai and Partners, and the case was set to be heard on Saturday, 19 April.
More: NewZimbabwe.com
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