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Free at last - WOZA and MOZA shall overcome
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
August 23, 2006

The 183 arrested on Monday, including the 144 who spent two nights in custody, were finally released today at 12pm. They appeared in court late morning on charges under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act but were granted free bail and remanded to court on 10th October. As they were released from court Riot Police were called to monitor the situation, as there were worries that with over 180 WOZA members in one spot another demo could erupt.

Several people required medical attention upon their release and as they attended the clinic, law and order officers remained closely monitoring their movements and intimidating. These included several that had been beaten by officers in custody, including two young students that had been arrested as bystanders. They were arrested after the fact and accused of taking photographs (one of the students had used his phone camera to record the demo).

Further investigation revealed that Law and Order officers beat more than five young boys and several young girls were forced to "sit" on "air chairs" for long periods of time whilst the officers demanded to know information about WOZA's mobilising activities. These young people, aged between 16 and 20 years of age, had been separated from the main group and taken to the Law and Order offices in Bulawayo Central, ostensibly for their "protection". Due to the fact that anyone with a youthful appearance was selected, not all of the young people affected were under 18. When reporting back to Central this morning as required, the entire group of 26 were too afraid to enter the station without the protection of the lawyer as they believed that they would be beaten again.

93 members (32 men) were held at Bulawayo Central whilst the rest (90) were at other stations or in their lawyer's custody. Many of the women at Central spent both night in the open air cage as the cells normally assigned to women were filthy and had blocked toilets. During the day, the women were "hidden" away in the police bar. Seeing that they were unable to accommodate the women and were too stubborn to release them, officers advised lawyers to bring in blankets, which was duly arranged, so at least for the second night those sleeping in the open had blankets. Those who braved the last winter chill were mostly women over the age of 50.

Detective Assistant Inspector T. Tshuma of Law and Order Bulawayo and his "team" went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that WOZA's stay in his lodgings were as unpleasant as possible. Stay tuned for his personal contact details so that you can help us make him accountable.

So as Harare colleagues face judgement for their Valentines Day trial on Monday 28 August, in Bulawayo, members, Magodonga Mahlangu, Siphiwe Maseko, Patricia Khanye and Emily Mpofu go on trial on 3 October for a 16 June 2004 arrest. The four women were facilitating an income generating project meeting "how to make jam". Mahlangu then joins Williams and several others in a 4 October trial for a 19 June 2004 World Refugee Day arrest. Hopefully all this will be done in time for the 183 members? 10 October remand hearing. Not forgetting of course that the streets of Zimbabwe must not be neglected or else they will cease to be a liberated zone. Meanwhile Giden Gn the "trio zero slasher" has gone to China to escape the wrath of singing women and MOZA.

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