Union to blockade the South Africa-Zimbabwe Beitbridge border post on 8 July

South Africa's main labour union -- the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) -- announced on 2 July 2008 that it will blockade the South Africa-Zimbabwe Beitbridge border post on 8 July in protest over President Robert Mugabe's rule. COSATU stated that the demonstration and blockade will be the first action in a campaign aimed at mobilizing unions and workers around the world to refuse service to Mugabe. In April COSATU also mobilized workers to deny a delivery of Chinese-supplied weapons to Zimbabwe; the Chinese government recalled the shipment after COSATU's actions convinced several African governments to refuse to allow the ship carrying the weapons to dock at their ports.