Back to Index

Update on WOZA/MOZA arrests
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
December 05, 2006

View images of injuries sustained during beatings by the Police
Read earlier report

December 04 - 6pm
The 40 members who had reported back to the Bulawayo Central Police Station this morning were finally released at midday. The arresting officers are still refusing to come forward to give their statements and without this evidence, the group cannot be taken to court. Police will proceed by way of summons.

Of the 40 members, four are men; one of whom, a Presbyterian pastor, was caught in the crossfire. It has also emerged that several of those who spent two nights in custody had not actually been arrested at Mhlanhlandlela but had raced to Central Police Station to hand themselves in in solidarity. They were the "lucky" few that managed to gain entrance to the police station before police realised what was going on and closed the gates on the rest of the group clamouring to get in.

It appears that the Zimbabwe Republic Police are in a quandary about how to deal with peaceful protestors. True to their "strategy", overheard being discussed at WOZA's last court victory, they beat up WOZA/ MOZA protesters. Although the same officer overheard discussing this "strategy" was again overheard saying that they obviously did not beat them viciously enough.

WOZA recognises that those that fear the truth will always resort to violence, the only language they know, in order to try and stop the message. But WOZA will continue undeterred - the power of love can overcome the love of power!

WOZA would also like to thank all those who supported our members in the last few days by calling, faxing or emailing and adding your voices to those of thousands of Zimbabweans who want a socially just future and who will not be silenced.

December 04 - 10.40am
40 members released on Friday into the custody of their lawyer for the weekend have reported back to Bulawayo Central this morning. It is still not clear at this stage when police will take them to court, if at all.

The two members rushed to hospital on Friday afternoon finally received treatment late on Friday evening once they had been transferred from the government facility to which they had been taken to a private clinic. Magodonga Mahlangu was referred to a specialist on Saturday due to the fact that she had fallen to the ground and blacked out after being beaten with a baton stick. She was further kicked whilst lying passed out on the ground. Both are feeling considerably better having received medical treatment and neither's condition is serious.

The woman with the broken ankle continues to receive specialist treatment and her condition remains serious. The specialist admitted that, given the severity of the break and her age, many other doctors would have simply amputated. He is continuing to attempt to save her leg but the next two weeks remain critical. The woman, in her sixties, admitted that she was beaten by police whilst lying on the ground. They were telling her to get up and run. When she tried to do so, "she could not find her foot to stand up".

Further stories of horror have emerged over the weekend. The woman who was kicked in the breast and collapsed outside the police station was actually going to the rescue of her sister who was being beaten on the back of the neck by a baton stick and kicked in the stomach. When her sister begged them to stop, the same officer kicked her in the breast. This attack later caused her to collapse. Both sisters received medical treatment and are recovering from their brutal attack.

One of the young girls taken to the start of the demonstration and assaulted whilst being made to pick up flyers testified: We were ordered to pick up all the flyers that we had strewn on the roads for passers-by. We were also ordered to pick up litter besides the flyers and this included picking up dirty material, even from stagnant water. They also forced us to pick up litter from beneath parked cars, which required us to lie prostrate on the ground, at which time they would beat us with baton sticks and kick us.

We were most pained when workers at Express Mart (the shop outside where we had kicked off our demonstration), joined hands with the police in insulting and even cheering on the police, who they ordered to force us to sing in the same way we had had been singing as we were distributing the flyers.

You can contact Express Mart on +263 9 889997 to ask them why they find such delight and pleasure at the sight of policemen assaulting young girls with impunity in broad daylight.

December 01 - 6pm
The 40 WOZA/ MOZA arrested on Wednesday have been released into the custody of their lawyer, Advocate Perpetua Dube for the weekend.

They will appear in court on Monday. Meanwhile two members, Magodonga Mahlangu and Sylvia, who were also in police custody, were rushed to hospital this afternoon.

48+ hours later -WOZA /MOZA members still in custody
Thirty-four of the WOZA/ MOZA members arrested and detained on Wednesday have been in custody for more than 48 hours now, it remains unclear whether they will be taken to court today as the arresting officers have not yet given their statements for fear of being sued for assault.

Advocate Perpetua Dube is preparing an urgent high court application for their release.

Fourty members have been charged, including the six mothers who reported back to the Bulawayo Central Police Station this morning, under two separate sections of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The group is facing charges under Chapter 46 section 2 (v) - 'employing any means whatsoever which are likely materially to intefere with the ordinary comfort, convinience, peace or quiet of the public, or does any act which is likely create a nuisance or obstruction' and Chapter 37 - 'participating in a public gathering with the intent to cause public disorder, breach of peace or bigotry'. If found guilty, the members could be fined or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months or both.

The 34 have spent two nights in the cells to date and are now being illegally detained as it is past 48 hours since their arrest.

November 30 - 2pm

Urgent Appeal - Threat to Jenni Williams
The 36 WOZA/ MOZA members arrested yesterday remain in police custody. It has emerged that there have been threats to separate Jenni Williams from the rest of the group in order to severely beat her or worse. WOZA's lawyer has also been threatened with arrest, for "interfering with the course of justice" whilst trying to attend to her clients.

You are requested to call Bulawayo Central Police Station and let them know that the world is watching and will not tolerate further assaults on WOZA members. Their numbers are +263 9 72515, 61706, 63061,
69860.

November 29 - 2pm
36 members of WOZA and MOZA, including 6 mothers with babies, are spending the night in cells at Bulawayo Central tonight. As WOZA's legal representative, Advocate Perpetua Dube was unable to gain access to the group this afternoon; it is not clear how many need medical treatment after the vicious beatings received earlier today. They have also not yet been charged.

Advocate Dube was able to secure the release of a baby who had been separated from its mother. The mother had not been arrested whilst the child had. Mother and child have been reunited and are both fine.

Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu have been separated from the rest of the group, being told that they will "spoil" the others if kept with them. They were being held in a detention room, whilst the mothers with babies were kept outside in the cage in the central courtyard. Both Williams and Mahlangu were also beaten.

It has also emerged that, as suspected, not all of those arrested were taken to Central. A group of 41 were taken to Drill Hall where they were beaten and harassed by police officers, before being freed. They were ordered to pick up the flyers and placards that had been left at Mhlanhlandlela government offices and as they bent down to pick up the papers, police assaulted them on the buttocks and backs with baton sticks and booted feet. Bystanders and passers-by that were seen reading the flyers were also assaulted.

Approximately, 25 members needed medical attention for their injuries, received from baton sticks and from being trampled when police were assaulting the large crowd. The baby that was injured has received treatment and was not badly hurt. The woman who broke her leg however received a very serious break and will need specialist attention. Both of these injuries were from being trampled.

Coming in the middle of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, the brutality of the police against peaceful women and men has once again exposed the true nature of a regime at war with its own people. WOZA may be bruised but remains strong in spirit - determined to fight on for a socially just Zimbabwe and the demands so clearly outlined in the People's Charter that was launched today. Woza Moya.

November 28 - 4.30pm

Mothers and babies released
Six mothers and babies have been released from Bulawayo Central Police Station whilst the other 30 members remain in custody. The group has been charged under two separate sections of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act: Chapter 46 section 2 (v) - 'employing any means whatsoever which are likely materially to intefere with the ordinary comfort, convinience, peace or quiet of the public, or does any act which is likely create a nuisance or obstruction' and Chapter 37 - 'participating in a public gathering with the intent to cause public disorder, breach of peace or bigotry'. If found guilty, the members could be fined or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months or both. It is hoped that they will appear in court tomorrow but it is unclear at this stage when that will take place.

It has also emerged that another group of 10 young female members were taken to the starting point of the demonstration yesterday after being arrested and were assaulted whilst being made to pick up flyers. There were then released. This brings the number to 51 of members that were arrested, assaulted and then released.

Those that were beaten yesterday continued to receive medical treatment, mostly for injuries caused by beating. The woman whose leg was broken was treated by an orthopaedic surgeon and it is likely that her ankle is permanently damaged. It also appears that the baby injured yesterday has broken her leg. Another woman needed urgent treatment after collapsing outside the police station yesterday - she had been kicked in the chest by a booted police officer whilst lying on the ground.

Advocate Dube, who had been threatened with arrest earlier today, managed to see the group this afternoon and reports that morale remains high despite the grave situation that they are in. Jenni Williams remains with the rest of the group and it does not appear that the threats against her have been carried out.

Visit the WOZA fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP