NRZ workers boycott Karakadzai burial

via NRZ workers boycott burial | The Zimbabwean by Staff Reporter

National Railways of Zimbabwe workers boycotted the funeral of their general manager, Mike Karakadzai, who was buried at the Heroes Acre in Harare.

Karakadzai died in a car accident last week near Shangani Mine. NRZ workers who spoke on condition of anonymity accused the late general manager of running down the parastatal.

“There was no way I was going to attend Karakadzai’s burial on an empty stomach. I have not been paid for a month,” said one of the workers.

“When we ask for our money, we are told that the company does not have money. Where has all this money come from to hire transport to the funeral? Never in the history of NRZ have workers and their families suffered as much as they have under the leadership of Karakadzai,” said another worker.

About four years ago, police arrested a state media journalist after she wrote an article alleging that Karakadzai addressed workers with a gun on the table.

Speaking at his burial at the weekend President Robert Mugabe defended the appointment of retired soldiers to public institutions.

“We are a militarised party so it must not come as a surprise that we assign people from the military to run public institutions,” said Mugabe.