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WOZA marchers for Mothers Day arrested in Bulawayo
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
May 12, 2003

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) went ahead with the Mothers Day Walks in Harare and Bulawayo on 10th May 2003. WOZA is a civic action and communications platform formed to break the silence and lobby on bread and butter issues affecting women and their families.

Harare had received police clearance and over 400 women participated, joining hands in prayer and song. With their grass brooms, they swept the environs around Africa Unity Square close to the Zimbabwean Parliament building. Ladies wore their WOZA scarves proudly. Two Dominican nuns also joined and wore their scarves. Police in attendance were friendly and even requested scarves to take home to their wives. An incredibly uplifting event that went on for about two hours and was enjoyed by all who attended. The walk was led by Getrude Hambira, Agnes Skero and Doreen Nelson, the WOZA Harare founding members. Please visit the Zvakwana website - www.zvakwana.org - to view the beautiful pictures and more information.

In Bulawayo the procession was led by Jenni Williams and Marble Ngwenya. Here is Jenni Williams account....

We swept the streets of Bulawayo signing our theme song and 46 of us were arrested for standing up for our right to say that it was time to put our house (Zimbabwe) in order and time to sweep away the violence and suffering. The words of our iSindebele song are: Mothers stand up. Stand up and work, for life is tough and it needs work for it to be sorted out. We sang that song as we swept, we sang it as we were driven away in the police land rover and we even sang it in the prison cells and we will continue to sing it.

Some of our mothers went on to sing a church song so loudly in the Bulawayo Central cell that a notorious law and order Sgt Ngwenya came in and slapped
8 women to try to get the name of the person who started the singing. Of course he was told they all began signing at once!

We wore scarves with the motif WOZA - Sokwanele - Zvakwana - Enough is Enough. 92 of our scarves are still in custody, so too is our banner which read : Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) Say no to hate and violence and yes to love. Put your house in order.

Some 50 odd women gathered at Church in solidarity and one of the women bought a cake to share. The cake was iced with a face of a women in the shape of a heart with tears dripping down her face. This is in solidarity with our message that we have nothing to celebrate only tears and a need to stem the flow. When we gathered we had in our minds the mothers of the 'disappeared' (taken during the Gukurahundi) and the mothers who have suffered in political violence pre and post Independence.

Many of the ladies who walked with us managed to walk away freely, however
46 paid an additional sacrifice of being detained in custody. At about 3:30 pm though some sanity prevailed and we were all told to pay a fine despite the fact that we were recognizing our constitutional right to freedom of assembly and expression. WOZA regards the 'Admission of Guilt' as an 'Certificate of Honour'! Herewith the names of those who are our MOTHERS OF HONOUR 2003. They are our champions and we cherish their contributions of 10 May 2003.

Name and age - Nami Nyirenda at 71yrs was our wisest participant and our little sister of 7 months the youngest. We named her WOZA as she came on her mother's back and spent the day with us campaigning for female voices to be heard.

1. Lillian Cimezile
2. Sibonile Ncube
3. Anastasia Ngwenya
4. Nomsa Mkhwananzi
5. Rebecca Ndlovu
6. Tiwe Moyo
7. Gabriella Ilonka Watson
8. Siphiwe Bhamu
9. Josephine Sibanda
10. Jennifer Williams
11. Mary Moyo
12. Sinqobile Maseko
13. Ecina Ngwenya
14. Lilia Moyo
15. Kheti Makhalima
16. Petronella Tshuma
17. Cengiwe Chivende
18. Marble Ngwenya
19. Esther Mabhena
20. Rosina Nyoni
21. Esinath Dube
22. Milia Dlamini
23. Jane Sibanda
24. Lucy Ncube 63yrs signed admission of guilt with an X
25. Sibongile Dube
26. Sibongile Chishamba
27. Jennifer Tshuma
28. Gladys Moyo
29. Getrude Khumalo
30. Virginia Ndlovu
31. Rosemary Nyathi
32. Mercy Dube
33. Nami Nyirenda 71yrs signed admission of guilt with an X
34. Tabila Moyo
35. Joyce Mkhwananzi 52 yrs
36. Moses Chunga 64 yrs
37. Beauty Ngwenya
38. Hleziwe Ncube 56yrs signed admission of guilt with an X
39. Alice Maseko 56yrs
40. Diana Sibanda age unknown signed admission of guilt with an X
41. Patricia Nkomo 53yrs
42. Susana Moyo
43. Joyce Zulu
44. Meli Phiri
45. Thokozile Mloyi
46. An Indian lady who prefers to be nameless

We have received many calls from around the country calling to be included in the next WOZA activity. Please bear with us, we are very young and have no formal funding to travel the length and breath of the country we will get to you eventually. WOZA is looking forward to partnering with other organisations in ensuring women's voices are heard on 25th May, Africa Day.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants and their families for the supporting them. A big thank you to all the women's organisations who assisted in spreading the word. To those of you who were behind the scenes in support, including the church that provided sanctuary. To the journalists for their attendance in Harare and to Bulawayo journalists an encouragement to be courageous enough to attend next time. The Police officers with a conscience and sensitivity - we thank you! To Chief Supt. P Matyatya, Ngwenya and Matchazi in Bulawayo - we remember your evil threats but know that God is for us all.

Visit the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) fact sheet

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