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WOZA
and MOZA march in Bulawayo today to demand bread and roses
Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
February 15, 2010
1,000 members
of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise marched through central Bulawayo
today to the offices of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. As
in the demonstration in Harare on Saturday, the peaceful protestors
handed out Valentine cards, red roses and abbreviated copies of
WOZA's report
on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe to excited passers-by. No
arrests have been reported at the time of this release.
Five protests
started separately and converged on the offices of the Chronicle.
The peaceful protestors sang as they marched, handing out roses
and Valentine cards to the citizens of Bulawayo, many of whom then
proceeded to join in the demonstration, causing the numbers to grow
as the group approached the Chronicle. People rushed out of shops
and offices to join in the excitement and carnival atmosphere.
At the Chronicle
offices, the group sat down outside the building whilst a journalist
came out to interview Jenni Williams about the demonstration. It
was explained to him that the demonstration was to launch the democracy
report and to test media and civic freedoms under the GNU. Williams
gave the journalist a copy of the report and a Valentine rose before
the group dispersed without incident. No police officers were in
sight at any stage of this process.
The report,
entitled 'Hearts starve as well as bodies - give us
bread but give us roses too! Democratising Zimbabwe - an opportunity
to shine!' is a snapshot of community activists' views
on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after the formation
of the Government of National Unity (GNU). It also urges Zimbabweans
to participate in democratizing Zimbabwe.
Songs sung by
the peaceful protestors included: "We want to expose this
delay in writing our constitution, which will delay our getting
our social justice"; "we don't want the Kariba
Draft" and "we need a Bill of Rights that respects
us; send me around the country to consult on the constitution as
WOZA respects people."
Visit
the WOZA fact
sheet
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