On 8 May 2008, Lovermore Matombo, President of ZCTU and Wellington Chibebe, Secretary General of ZCTU, (pictured) handed themselves into the police as they were charged with ‘communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.’ These charges were in wake of speeches made during May Day celebrations and Harare and on 12 May they were denied bail and remanded in custody until 23 May.
Amnesty International considers that these arrests are part of a wider crackdown targeting human rights defenders, trade unionists, lawyers, journalists, election observers and opposition activists in the wake of the elections which took place on 29 March 2008. THe TUC have called for their release and believes they were arrested purely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and that they are prisoners of conscience.