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WOZA and MOZA take to the streets of Bulawayo to deliver demands to government
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
May 18, 2009

Over 1,000 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA/MOZA) marched through the streets of Bulawayo today to articulate their demands to the power-sharing government. They chose to protest today as the first 100 days in office draws to a close. The protest started at four different locations, converging on Mhlahlandlela Government Complex. There have been no arrests reported at the time of this release.

The song sung by the peaceful protesters rang out through the streets of Bulawayo - 'We are not scared to reveal failures of this inclusive government, boboza (expose it').

Two protests began earlier than scheduled as members were eager to start. On arriving at the government complex, they handed over their list of demands and placards to the guards at the gate before sitting down to await the arrival of the rest of the participants. Bystanders were amazed to note the peaceful women and men arriving in waves and join each other seated in at the complex. Many followed the protestors to receive the newsletter outlining WOZA's demands and to observe the spectacle. Five thousand copies of the newsletter were distributed during the four processions; all were grabbed by eager bystanders, not a single one remaining to litter the streets. People reading the list of demands were heard to be debating the content as the demonstration went by.

10 police officers came out of the Police Drill Hall as members sang their songs at the complex but they just watched and then moved off, going about their business. There were many police officers around the four starting points but they did not take action other than to call or radio in that a protest was underway. At one location, police officers were heard commenting that WOZA should not have allowed the 100 days to elapse before demonstrating. A man in plain clothes was overheard telling the civil servants at the gate, "these women are helping you."

After the peaceful group had disbursed, a police vehicle with two officers arrived and were seen leaving with placards and copies of the newsletter left with the guards at the gate. Some placards read, 'restore the rule of law', 'provide social welfare' and 'fix the education system'.

The protest and the list of demands handed over to the government complex today follows wide consultations with members in Bulawayo and across the country. WOZA has been conducting meetings and workshops preparing members to hold the power-sharing government accountable for the promises they make. This has been part of the Take the Step campaign, designed to encourage Zimbabweans to continue with the civic participation that they demonstrated in March 2008.

As part of our campaigning we have been reminding people to look beyond the words and promises - ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. As we march today, government should get the message loud and clear - enough talking, more doing. We have been patient for long enough.

Background

As part of discussions on the first 100 days, WOZA members were asked what they thought the power-sharing government should have prioritized in their first 100 days in office.

To do this we asked their responses to this question: If you were President or Prime Minister or even Minister of Finance or Education and you had 20 days left what 20 things would you concentrate on first?

We then selected the top five answers out of 20 and compiled the list of priorities. 6,520 members completed the petition and below is a summary of contributions.

100 Days of the Government of National Unity - an analysis of priorities

10 months have passed since the Global Political Agreement was signed. They promised to "build a democratic and just, inclusive society free of fear, violence, patronage, corruption and to ensure a better life for all Zimbabweans". They promised to "arrest the fall in living standards and reverse the decline of our economy", and "an end to violence, respect for human rights and freedoms of expression and assembly, economic and social justice, security sector reform,
constitutional reforms and national healing."

On 11 February this year, Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister and a few days' later ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said in his speech, "For too long our people's hopes for a bright and prosperous future have been betrayed. Instead of hope their days have been filled with starvation, disease and fear. A culture of entitlement and impunity has brought our nation to the brink of a dark abyss. This must end
today." He promised "jobs for those who wish to work, food is available for those who are hungry, and where we are united by our respect for the rights and dignity of our fellow citizens. This is the
debt we owe to our liberation heroes and our democratic movement heroes who paid the ultimate price so we could all live together free from fear, hunger, and poverty." He said he would restore a free media, the rule of law and Zimbabwe's devastated agricultural sector.

He promised to open a "new chapter for our country" and told us he had three priorities:

1.Democratisation
2. Ending the humanitarian crisis
3. Stabilising the economy

SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? WOZA heard them talk and reminded each other that actions speak louder than words. We continued to encourage each other to Qhubeka/ Take the Step /Yendera Mberi. We continued to demand respect for human rights and social justice through non-violent
protest. We waited to see what they would do during the first 100 days. We know that our country has been destroyed and cannot be fixed overnight BUT we also cannot just sit and watch and do nothing. The 100 days has come and gone. Now we have to remind politicians we are impatient for a better life - we deserved it yesterday and want it TODAY. We march today to demand concrete progress on the promises made.

WOZA consulted members in Bulawayo on what they thought the power-sharing government should have prioritised in their first 100 days in office. They responded to this question:
If you were President or Prime Minister or even Minister of Finance or Education and you had 20 days left what 20 things would you concentrate on first? We then selected the top five answers out of 20 and compiled this list of priorities. 6,520 members completed the petition and below is a
summary of contributions.

1. Fix the education system:

- We want free or affordable better quality education, with resources for our children and teachers who are motivated by descent salaries.
- Teachers still look at parents as their employer while the real employer, government, looks on helplessly.

2. Urgent reforms to stabilize the economy:
- Reintroduce local currency as soon as possible because not everyone can access foreign currency and afford to use it. Find a way to bring back a stable Zimbabwe dollar currency.
- Audit finances at RBZ and Gono should be investigated for corruption and either be fired or resign.

3. Restore the healthcare system:
- We need affordable fees for clinics and hospitals and enough affordable medicines.
- Pregnancy no longer means celebrating a birth but pain and suffering due to high costs; demands for bribes and bad service. Nurses and doctors must be told to treat patients with respect. They must also earn a living wage that dignifies them.
- Please allow people a dignified death - buy more storage fridges and clean up mortuaries.

4. Better quality, affordable and efficient service delivery from ZESA, City Councils and Tel One:
- They keep increasing their tariffs but at the same time they decrease their service. Make sure people are getting a clean supply of water. Reduce telephone tariffs and improve service.

5. Create employment and opportunities:
- We want jobs for all and those with jobs require a living wage that enables them to afford to get to work and eat three meals a day.
- Offer civil servants a decent salary.
- Allow people to get trading licenses and tell police to stop treating vendors like criminals.
- Encourage informal and cross-border trading by capacitating ordinary people with self-help projects and training so that they will be able to create more business on a small scale, which will automatically boost industry.

6. Restore the rule of law:
- Enforce the rule of law and respect for property rights.
- Police corruption is steadily increasing; weed out corrupt police officers. We demand an end to the public looting of vendors' goods by police. Citizens need to be protected against indiscriminate harassment. Implement the deal points about training of police.
-End the violence by police on citizens. There is too much police brutality.
-Withdraw trumped up charges against prisoners.
- Repeal the sections in law (POSA sections) that violates civil rights immediately.

7. Basic commodities - food for all:
- Food needs to be affordable and available. Reduce prices on a par with regional prices to stop profiteering
- Free and unhindered access to food aid for those who cannot feed themselves.
- Adequate food for prisoners.

8. Fix transport infrastructure:
- Repair roads. Improve transport for the easier movement of goods and passengers.
- Make fuel more affordable and accessible.

9. Housing:
- There needs to be affordable housing for all - make rents reasonable and build more houses.
- A special compensation programme of housing for Murambatsvina victims.

10. Resuscitation of industry:
- Inject funds into industry.
- Encourage investment to get our economy back on its feet.

11. Provide social welfare:
- A decent pension for elderly, care and support for orphans and the disabled must be catered for.

12. Start a national healing process:
- Make the President apologise to the nation.
- There should be an investigation into human rights abuses and crimes against humanity and those guilty should be removed.
- We need peace and an immediate end to violence. We need to feel safe in our own country and own homes.

13. Have media freedom:
- Fair and equal coverage of all government officials. We want to hear them speak on ZBC and not have voice-overs telling us what they are saying. We want the truth from our media.
- We want more independent media - newspapers, radio and television.

14. Write a new constitution followed by elections:
- Speed up the process for a new people-driven constitution. No president can hold more than 2 terms of office.

15. Equality for all:
- Stop discrimination. Equal allocation of resources to all provinces and people.
- Support gender equality programmes to gain women's participation in all aspects of life - business, leadership.

16. Improve international relations:
- Restore international relations - not only East or West, but all. Make sure that we have good (and equitable) trade relationships with regional and international countries.
- We would like to thank our neighbours and the international community for helping us in our time of need. Please keep it up.

17. Re-establish agriculture and initiate a genuine land-reform programme:
- Stop selective distribution of land. Stop illegal invasions. Be serious about agriculture because our country depends on farming. Give land to productive people.
- Fair distribution of inputs. Biased distribution means starvation.
- Compensation for those who had their farms taken.

If I was the Minister of Home Affairs:
- Remove Police Commissioner Chihuri who allows officers to abuse peoples' rights and loot their goods.
- Reduce the cost of passports.
- Allow people to get birth certificates and identity documents at regional offices and make it easy for them.

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