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WOZA and MOZA arrested in the streets of Bulawayo on Valentine's Day
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
February 14, 2009

At least 800 members of WOZA and MOZA took to the streets of Bulawayo this morning, Valentine's Day, urging Zimbabweans to let love light the way. At the time of this release, at least a hundred women and men have been arrested by riot police. It is not clear exactly how many people in total have been arrested as the large group that had been sitting under arrest was broken down into smaller groups by police and these smaller groups are still being taken in Bulawayo Central Police Station.

The peaceful Valentine's protest had four different starting points - two beginning at opposite sides of Herbert Chitepo Street in central Bulawayo at 10am and two beginning at opposite sides of Fort Street at 10.05am. The plan was for all four groups to meet on 9th Avenue and process together to the office of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. All four demonstrations started on time, despite a heavy police presence in the city centre. One of the first groups starting on Herbert Chitepo was stopped after one block by riot police however. A leader was arrested and the rest of the group told to disperse, which they did peacefully.

The other three groups successfully met up with each other on the corner of 9th Avenue and Fort Street but were unable to process further as they were stopped by riot police. Hundreds of members were held under arrest at this point, including someone who was taking photographs. Due to the size of the group under arrest however, several people were able to slip away.

As people slipped away, they met up with those that had avoided arrest and continued with spontaneous marches through town or else congregated as delegations at the Chronicle. Several groups of WOZA members were seen entering the Chronicle offices to deliver Valentine's cards, roses and flyers.

Valentine's Day is traditionally an occasion that WOZA has used to urge Zimbabweans to choose love over hate and marks the 7th anniversary of WOZA's birth. Today's demonstration also marks the first public action in Bulawayo of the new WOZA campaign, Take the Step, which is designed to encourage Zimbabweans to continue with the civic participation that they demonstrated in March 2008.

This year the Valentine's Day protests take place at the dawn of a new unity government that was sworn in this week and follows the Harare chapter's Tuesday protest to Parliament that resulted in the arrest of eight members and two lawyers. All 10 were released from custody on bail on Thursday 12th after appearing in court.

The events in Bulawayo today, together with the arrest of the 10 people after Tuesday's protest, the arrest of MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett on the day of the swearing in of Ministers and the continued incarceration of Jestina Mukoko and other abductees despite court orders instructing their release, are further evidence however that nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. More than ever Zimbabweans need to remain vigilant and participate in defending their rights and freedoms against a regime determined to cling to power despite the platitudes they mouth that they are prepared to share power.

Solidarity events are also being held in London, Canada and South Africa today. WOZA invites any friends or supporters to join one of these events or to simply light a candle to show your solidarity with Zimbabweans who, despite remaining in the darkness, are trying their best to let love light the way forward.

More information will be given as it becomes available.

News update
Saturday 14th February - 5.30pm

10 held overnight at Bulawayo Central Police Station - lawyers denied access

Seven WOZA members and three unidentified men will spend the night in Bulawayo Central Police Station. Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have been denied access to the group on four separate occasions so it is not known how they are or if they have been mistreated in custody. They have been allowed food this evening and it is hoped that the lawyer will be given access in the morning. Amongst those arrested are Praise Mlangeni, Barbara Bepe, Patience Mpofu, Shingirai Mupani and Gladys Dube.

It transpires that the large group under arrest at the corner of 9th Avenue and Fort Street were ordered by a senior police officer to march to City Hall. As the group was so large however, and the number of police escorts relatively few, many were able to slip away as they walked the several blocks to City Hall. At City Hall, those under arrest were asked to present their identification cards to police and were searched. Anyone found with WOZA materials (including red roses) were sent to Central Police Station. Those that did not have any WOZA items in their possession were released.

It also appears that police did not remain nonviolent. Witnesses report seeing riot police randomly beating people, some several blocks away from the demonstration. Six young men, who just happened to be passing the offices of the Chronicle, were observed to be beaten by riot police. Chronicle staff members were also seen to be pointing out WOZA members who had delivered Valentine's cards and roses to their offices to the police, leading to their arrest. Please feel free to contact The Chronicle and ask why their staff felt it necessary to have women arrested who were merely giving them red roses and Valentine's cards. Phone +263 9 888870/9, fax +263 9 888884 or email editor@chronicle.co.zw

The demonstrations and the chaotic and violent dispersal were witnessed by three South African observers from civic society - Precious Myeza from South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), Sakina Mohamed from the South African Council of Churches and Bunie Matlanyane Sexwale from Khulumani Support Group as part of the Save Zimbabwe Now Coalition. All were present to provide solidarity with WOZA members today as it was strongly suspected that police would react oppressively as there is little doubt in the minds of ordinary Zimbabweans that the unity government has not changed anything on the ground.

Please contact Bulawayo Central Police Station on +263 9 72515/61706/63061/68078 to ask them why they continue to beat innocent bystanders and arrest citizens carrying out their democratic right under the Constitution of Zimbabwe to peacefully protest despite the dawn of a new unity government. Please also ask them to release those arrested today immediately.

News update
Monday 16th February - 1pm

WOZA members still held without charge - application to High Court to press for their release

SEVEN members of WOZA and three members of Radio Dialogue are still in custody at Bulawayo Central Police Station, more than 48 hours after their arrest on Saturday. The defence lawyer, Kossam Ncube, has tried to gain access since their arrest but has been unable to secure an audience with his clients. An urgent application to the High Court for the group to be allowed access to their legal representation has been drafted and is due for submission immediately after lunch.

Several interactions with both the uniformed and Law and Order branch of the police have revealed that the docket is still not complete with arresting officers details and there is an apparent disagreement as to the way to proceed with both departments revering the matter back and forth.

Charges being discussed are Section 37 1 b of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act - 'participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry' and displaying placards with obscene messages. Most of the messages on placards mentioned the need for quality education and for children to go to school.

One of the members had left her baby at home and as the family did not have foreign currency to buy milk for the child, they brought the baby to the police station to be breast-fed. A police officer asked the support team to make sure the baby did not spend the night as the cells and detention room are 'very dirty even for us'.

Please contact Bulawayo Central Police Station on +263 9 72515/61706/63061/68078 to demand the immediate release of the 10 women and men.

News Update
Tuesday 17th February - 4pm

After submission of the High Court order for the lawyer to gain access to the detained members, police changed their tune and advised that they were reducing charges and offered the payment of an admission of guilt fine. The lesser charge would be for 'blocking traffic'. WOZA policy is to insist on a formal charge and advise members not to admit guilt, as this will give them a criminal record. Under the Zimbabwean Constitution, freedoms of expression and assembly are allowed so a conviction for peaceful protest is highly unlikely. Police officers were then advised to charge or release the activists.

This afternoon, police put the activists under further pressure to pay fines. Due to this intense pressure and the deplorable conditions in the cells, six of the detained group succumbed and have paid fines - the three Radio Dialogue staff, and three WOZA members, the two mothers and one member who has developed a bad rash.

The four activists that remain in custody have not been formally charged and are still to be processed by police. It is hoped that they taken to court tomorrow. Their continued detention is illegal as the 48-hours police have by law to take people to court was up at lunchtime on Monday. Police are arguing that the 48 hour period of detention has not expired but according to the Criminal Evidence and Procedure Act, it starts from the moment of arrest (regardless of whether on a weekend or not) and can only be extended if the 48-hour period expires on a non-court day.

News Update
Tuesday 17th February - 7pm

Remaining 4 activists released

In a surprising twist, the remaining four activists that refused to bow to intimidation and pressure and pay admission of guilt fines were released from custody this evening. They have been instructed to return to Bulawayo Central Police Station tomorrow morning at 8am when they will be taken to court. They were made to sign warn and cautioned statements prior to their release but it is not clear what they have been charged with as the lawyer was not present at the time and the charges were not adequately explained to the women.

News Update
Wednesday 18th February - 12.30pm

4 WOZA activists still not taken to court - charges changed

The four WOZA women who refused to pay fines have still not been taken to court. When they presented themselves at Bulawayo Central Police Station this morning, they were informed by the Investigating Officer, Constable Masawi, that the charges against them were being changed and so the paperwork would need to be prepared from the beginning. They spent the morning at the police station being processed for the fresh charges and have been informed that they will be taken to court tomorrow morning. All four remain out of custody.

The new charges are under Section 46 2 (v) of the Third Schedule to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act - 'employs any means whatsoever which are likely materially to interfere with the ordinary comfort, convenience, 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'. They had previously been charged under Section 37 (1b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act - ' ... performs any action, utters any words or distributes or displays any writing, sign or other visible representation that is obscene, threatening, abusive or insulting, intending thereby to provoke a breach of the peace...'

All those released have spoken of the horrific conditions they endured. The cells are filthy with overflowing toilets and on the first night, they were severely overcrowded. Food bins are not emptied regularly so maggots can be seen crawling in the bins. The women were also subjected to invasive strip searches every day. One woman on anti-retroviral treatment had to fight for access to her tablets every day by demanding to see the officer-in-charge as police tried to deny her access to her life-saving medication - on one occasion, she was actually denied her ARVs. Two of the women have had to seek medical treatment for bad rashes developed from the filthy conditions.

In the meantime, police officers have been present at the homes of both Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu in recent days.

News Update
Tuesday 17th February - 7pm

In a surprising twist, the remaining four activists that refused to bow to intimidation and pressure and pay admission of guilt fines were released from custody this evening. They have been instructed to return to Bulawayo Central Police Station tomorrow morning at 8am when they will be taken to court. They were made to sign warn and cautioned statements prior to their release but it is not clear what they have been charged with as the lawyer was not present at the time and the charges were not adequately explained to the women.

News Update
Thursday 19th February - 3pm

The four women were finally taken to court this morning on the fresh charges of criminal nuisance. The prosecutor at Bulawayo Magistrate's Court refused to entertain the charges however. All four women were therefore unconditionally released after six days of harassment and intimidation by police, four of which were spent in horrific conditions in police cells. In consultation with the four women, WOZA is considering suing the Zimbabwe Republic Police for wrongful arrest and detention.

The harassment against WOZA continued this afternoon however when members gathered to discuss the state of education in the country. Officers from the Law and Order unit interrupted the meeting and refused to leave despite it being a closed meeting of members. Those present therefore felt they had no option but to dismiss as they felt their freedoms of assembly and speech would be curtailed by the presence of police officers that they violated their rights on so many occasions.

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