South Africa's main labor union has staged a demonstration at Zimbabwe's border on the eve of parliamentary elections in the neighboring country.

However, only about 300 supporters of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, showed up, instead of the thousands of demonstrators the union had promised.

Protesters demanded democratic reform in Zimbabwe and said Thursday's parliamentary elections will not be free or fair.

COSATU's president Willie Madisha said Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is no longer a freedom fighter but "an animal killing the people."

Two delegations from the South African union have been thrown out of Zimbabwe in the last six months after they tried to investigate claims of rights abuses.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.