Zimbabwe union leaders seized ahead of new tax protests

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Zimbabwe police on Thursday arrested trade union leaders ahead of nationwide protests by workers against a new electronic money transfer tax and a sharp increase in prices of basic commodities.

Police refused to give the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) permission to stage the demonstrations, citing a cholera outbreak, but the labour body vowed to defy the ban.