Nine members of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) were abducted on 19 February for distributing leaflets about the country's education crisis.
They were taken to the police station for “criminal nuisances” and were severely beaten. Five teachers, including the PTUZ General Secretary Raymond Majongwe, had to be taken to hospital with skull fractures and broken bones.
The PTUZ officials were distributing flyers on the state of public schools in Zimbabwe and were demanding that authorities act on the collapse of the education system.
Earlier, the EI affiliate ZIMTA also deplored the distressing situation of teachers and highlighted that 8,000 teachers have left the country.
So far, no charges have been laid against the PTUZ members.
EI condemns this egregious violation of basic human and trade union rights.