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Mabutweni/Iminyela peaceful demonstrators remand hearing
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
November 09, 2006

The four Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members arrested on 23 October and detained for 48 hours following a peaceful protest against housing eviction will appear at Western Commonage Magistrates Court for a remand hearing tomorrow at 8.am.

The women were remanded on $500 bail each on 25 October. Charges against one, Maria Moyo, were dropped after officers from Law and Order failed to substantiate charges that she was part of the protest as police officers had arrested at her house in Mabutweni on Wednesday evening.

The women are being charged under Chapter 46 Section 2 (v) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act -"employing any means whatsoever which are likely materially to interfere with the ordinary comfort, convinience, peace or quiet of the public or any section of the public, or does any act which is likely to create a nuisance or obstruction." If found guilty, the women could be fined or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months or both.

The residents were protesting against Joshua Mafu, so called Chairman of The Residents Association, who has teemed up with his 'partner', Fabion Dube -Superintendent of Mpopoma Housing Office, in illegally evicting residents from their houses and allocating them to their cronies at a month's notice. Thirty-six residents, some members of WOZA, were scheduled to be evicted end of October.

Simba Chivaura, a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, will defend the women.

Visit the WOZA fact sheet

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