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Arrested for handing out sweets
Jenni Williams
November 18, 2003

Dear Friends,

What I am writing borders on the ridiculous and I forgive you if your laugh as I find myself giggling in between wincing in pain. I am typing more or less one handed as a Riot Policeman tried to break my fingers and am sitting on the softest cushions in the house and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight. I have been arrested twice today, once for giving out sweets and then I had to hand myself over voluntarily for apparently being part of the demonstration. I must report to Police Central at 7 am tomorrow to be formally charged under the Public Order Security Act (POSA).

During the morning, news of arrested ZCTU officials reached the WOZA women and me. We resolved to monitor the situation as the day of protest began. The routes into town from the Industrial area were like the mighty Zambezi, they were coming to protest by hook or by crook. We arrived close to the meeting point to find crowds gatherered and only 4 riot police in attendance.

A kind friend had donated sweets to WOZA and we have been using them in our demonstrations to boost morale so we though we would go into the crowds and give out sweets. Of course we encouraged them to push ahead peacefully to their meeting place at the Government offices. We got mobbed of course and had to stop distributing sweets, you see most Zimbabweans can no longer buy them.

The Riot Police then came to me and said I was under arrest. I guess my white skin is conspicuous in a mob of black people. I confirmed with them that they were arresting me for handing out sweets and they said yes, and pulled out handcuffs and cuffed me. They also insisted on arresting my WOZA scarf. We have 94 scarves still in police custody from our Mothers day protest so I volunteered to remove the scarf carefully off my head and allowed them to arrest it. The message on the scarf is – WOZA – enough is enough, Sokwanele, Zvakwana.

They then informed me that they would walk me to the Drill Hall to be formally arrested. Of course, I consented as the Drill hall is opposite Government offices where the protesters happened to be headed. My WOZA collegues insisted that they would accompany me to be arrested and invited the huge crowd of upwards 1000 to come along too, which they did! As we walked, I showed people that I was handcuffed and told them that I had been arrested for handing out sweets and fighting for our rights, so many more people also joined the procession.

The mob began to sing an Ndebele song – ‘we hate this thing you are doing’, and more people joined in. When we arrived at the Drill Hall opposite where we wanted to be, I asked the crowds if I should go in to be arrested and they said resounding NO and became excitable. I then sat down on the tarmac and told the police to negotiate. They chose to unlock the handcuffs and release me to the crowd.

Of course the ZCTU people then came along and began their planned address, as we were where we wanted to be! The leader told us that he had asked for the regional police commissioner to come and receive a petition from the workers and that we should remain peaceful singing and try to remain seated. The tarmac was boiling so sitting down was difficult.

After some time a Police truck full of Riot Police left the Drill hall and seemingly drove away only to return from the other end. About three vehicles and upwards of 100 Riot Police were in attendance. We were addressed through a megaphone and told to disperse immediately or face assault. Many people sat down, some started to disperse but many wanted to see the petition delivered. The officer with the megaphone told his troops to advance and dogs were brought out. They advanced and people began to walk calmly away but the officer then ordered us to be beaten. Riot Police prodded us in the back saying we should disperse, the officer egged them on and they started to prod us telling us to run. We answered back saying that we would not run as the dogs would bite us. Run we were told and beaten until some of us ran and of course the dogs bit several people.

I refused to run and walked with WOZA women a distance but then we noticed that Patricia Tshabalala being taken by six policemen into a truck. We feared for her and said we wanted to be arrested. Instead an officer with a dog said he would release the dog on us. We had not choice but to walk away. I was beaten across my buttocks, arms and legs as I refused to run. One policeman was beating me and another came saying he also wanted to ‘taste’ me; I I took over 8 blows with batons. Finally they let us go and I found a member of WOZA with a head wound (see picture at right) , she had been beaten on the head and was oozing blood. After trying to get into two companies to find refuge, we were finally allowed in to a bus company, where we called for help and went on to have medical attention.

I then received a call from my lawyer to say the Police had requested my presence and I had to go and hand myself in, which I did at about 4pm. After much to and froing I was allowed with Patricia Tshabalala to go home to report tomorrow morning for charge and Court appearance.

I gave a statement that I was arrested for handing out sweets and was force marched to the Drill Hall and was released to the crowd by the Police resulting in me playing a greater part in the demonstration than I had originally planned.

I saw a young man badly bitten by police dogs go to hospital and upon his return they put him back in the cells. I know that there are many people who were injured today in the uncalled for violence as they tried to peacefully disperse. 8 people from ZCTU remain in police cells in Bulawayo and will go to court tomorrow.

A tired and sore but uplifted,
Jenni Williams
email: jennipr@mweb.co.zw

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