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WOZA
members on trial in Bulawayo
Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
October 02, 2006
THIRTEEN
members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), arrested in Bulawayo on
separate incidents in June 2004,
will stand trial at the Western Commonage and Tredgold Provincial
Magistrates Courts on 3 and 4 October respectively at 8:30am.
The first trial on 3 October
concerns four women arrested at Matshobana Hall on June 16 2004
while conducting meeting on Self-Help Projects. They face charges
under the Public
Order and Security Act.
The second trial
on 4 October involves nine other women arrested on 19 June 2004
during a peaceful demonstration. They are charged under the Miscellaneous
Offences Act. The trial is taking place in one of the courtrooms
on the second floor of Tredgold Provincial Magistrates Court.
Advocate Perpetua
Dube, a member of the Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights, will defend the women in both trials.
WOZA invites
anybody who wishes to show solidarity with the women to attend the
proceedings.
As well as these
two trials taking place on 3rd and 4th
October, WOZA members will also be in remand court on 5th and 10th
in Harare and Bulawayo respectively.
Details of the
allegations and names of those on trial are listed below.
Please note
any spelling or grammatical mistakes are those of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police.
OUTLINE
OF CHARGES
(self help projects) C/S 24(6) of the Public Order and Security
Act Chapt. 11:17
OFFENCE
Failure to notify the regulating authority by an organiser of a
public meeting
ALLEGATIONS
The state alleges that on the 16th June, at about 1100HRS
the four accused persons, Magodonga Mhlanga, Patricia Kanye, Emily
Mpofu and Siphiwe Maseko organised some women from Matshobana Hall
and did not notify the regulating authorities as per C/S 24(6) of
the Public Order and Security Act Chapt. 11:17.
EVIDENCE
At the scene police recovered a questionnaire with questions that
were of no relevance to the making of Jam, with some responses also
found at the scene somewhat political. The questionnaire was hearded
?WOMEN?S SURVEY? with the proable of the questionnaire written as
follows-
Briefing-Your
opinion is important, Please could I ask you some survey questions?
I do not need your personal details. This survey is being done amongst
women to determine what they need inorder to live a better life.
It will only take a few minutes for me to write down the first SHORT
answer that comes to your mind. That were seven questions to the
questionnaire which were,
1.Who do you
take advice from?
2.What
three problems do you face on a daily basis?
3.what
do you feel is the biggest problem in Zimbabwe?
4.What
could be done to change that?
5.What
in your life is going the best?
6.What
in your life would you like to change the most?
7.What
thing in your life do you look forward to the most?
There were two
responses to the questions written on the paper. The first response
had the following replies (SEE ANNEXTURE)
ANNEXTURE
WOMEN
SURVEY
1.My mother
always gives me advices
2.The
three No house, No money to pay renting house. No husband
3.We are
not free in our country
4.No change
to Gornment
5.I am
not sick
6.I must
join other women to demontraling
7.Let
keep our demontration to cry for change
The second
response was as follows
1.I make my
advice alone
2.No money,
No food, no clothing, no children in life.
3.I have
no one to take of me as I grow old.
4.I don?t
know
5.I am
happy because I have my own house.
6.to change
the Gorv. 7.Women?s
rights.
ANNEXTURE-Names
of those on trial
1.MAGODONGA
MAHLANGU 08-657542H 39 31Yrs Res-1404 New Magwegwe, Bulawayo
2.Patricia Kanye 63-517411N
39 45Yrs Res-7013 Pumula North Bulawayo
3.Emily
Mpofu 19-005763N 19 61Yrs Res-274 Matshobana,
Bulawayo
4.Siphiwe Maseko
08-588013 W 53 33Yrs Res 14587 Nkulumane
OUTLINE
OF CHARGES AGAINST PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS c/s: 7() of the
Miscellaneous Offences Act Chapter: 9;15 alternatively c/s: 3(2)
(g) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Chapter :9;15 i.e. OFFENCE
Obstructing the free passage along any street, road, thoroughfare
sidewalk or pavement
ALLEGATIONS
The state alleges
that on the 19th June 2004 the accused persons gathered at the corner
of Fife street and 8th Avenue in the city centre of Bulawayo with
the intention of carrying out a march. The accused persons did not
seek police for an escort so that their march would not obstruct the
free passage of both traffic on the roads and pedestrians on the pavements.
The accused
persons, after having gathered, started singing and toy-toying along
fife street and on the pavements towards the northern direction.
The accused
persons? action caused confussion in the city centre and caused
abstructions of traffic and the movement of pedestrians on the pavements.
The accused persons were stopped by police during the process and
arrested.
EVIDENCE
AND ANNEXTURE (names of those on trial)
1.JENNIFER LOUISE
WILLIAM NR: 08-477564 S 00 45 Years RES ADDRESS: 10 KENT
ROAD HILLSIDE BULAWAYO
2.MAGODONGA
MAHLANGU NR: 08-657542 W 39 31 Years RES ADDRESS: 1404 NEW
MAGWEGWE BULAWAYO
3.ANNA MOYO
NR: U/K RES ADDRESS 85240 SIDOJIWE FLATS D/TON BYO 52 Years
4.SELINA NCUBE
NR: 08-564280 Z 73 RES ADDRESS:744/2 OLD MAGWEGWE BYO 45
Years
5.EMMA SIBANDA
NR: U/K RES ADDRESS: 85237 SIDOJIWE FLATS D/TON BYO 46 Years
6.ERIKA SITHOLE
NR: U/K RES ADDRESS: 266 NEW LUVEVE BULAWAYO 45 Years
7.EDITH MBOFANA
NR: 63-310508 T 68 RES ADDRESS: 176 NEW LUVEVE BULAWAYO 49
Years
8.ANNA DUBE
NR: 66-041246 M 66 RES ADDRESS: 422 NEW LUVEVE BULAWAYO 37
Years
9. MEMORY MUSHORE
NR:U/K RES ADDRESS: 9341 MAGWEGWE WEST BULAWAYO 24 Years
NB: two accused,
Patricia Kanye and Simangaliso Nxumalo are now on a separate docket
since their location has yet to be known.
Visit
the WOZA fact
sheet
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