ZANU(PF) youths and war veterans prevented teachers in rural areas from engaging in strike action over wage disputes. Some teachers in rural areas were chased away by state security agents and war veterans who accused them of supporting the MDC. Some of these teachers had fled their schools in the run-up to the 27 June 2008 presidential election run-off. They encountered the same hostile forces on their return and were not protected by their employer, the Public Service Commission. Case histories • On 12 September, riot police in Harare barred the ZCTU from holding a commemorative march authorized by a High Court judge. Police, armed with guns, water cannons and batons, cordoned off the road leading to the demonstration site. • On 8 November, ZCTU president, Lovemore Matombo, and four other union leaders were arrested in Victoria Falls after they had attempted to hold a labour meeting. Police held the five labour leaders without charge until a hearing on 12 November. During the hearing the magistrate reprimanded the police for arresting the labour leaders under POSA, as labour organizations are exempt from that legislation. 26 Zimbabwe Human Rights Report – 2009