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WOZA
lodges High Court application as Williams gets more threats
Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
June 16, 2011
On 15 June 2011,
Police officers were served with the copies of urgent chamber application
submitted on 14th June to the High Court by WOZA. They were served
by Kossam Ncube, the defence lawyer. The matter has been set down
for 9am Friday 17 June 2011 before Justice Mathonsi.
The relief sought
from the court is in the form of an order compelling Police Commissioner-General
Augustine Chihuri, Officer Commanding CID Law and Order Section
Augustine Kubvoruno Commanding CID Law and Order Section at Bulawayo
and Chief Superintendent P. R Moyo, the Officer Commanding CID Law
and Order Section at Bulawayo Central Police Station and the Officer
In Charge CID Law and Order Section at Bulawayo Central Police Station
to remove all police officers from
the house and the yard outside with immediate effect and to
bar the police from removing anything whatsoever from the house.
WOZA are requesting the High Court restore back to the organisation
full and undisturbed occupation of the house. The suburb house is
under armed police guard.
The reaction
from the police officers upon being served with court documents
was more threats and intimidation. Officer Ngwenya complained directly
to the human rights lawyer that he was mentioned in WOZA press statements
and that he will now have to 'deal personally with Williams', this
is the second time he has made such a threat upon the person of
Williams. He went on to vow that even if the court orders them to
leave the premises, they will continue to guard from outside the
house until they can get Williams and search the house and vehicles
parked in the yard.
On Friday 10th
June WOZA members had gathered to finalise their petitions and power
cut timesheets in Suburbs, Bulawayo. WOZA planned to hand these
over to the Parliament
Committee dealing with the electricity issue. Police officers so
desperate to protect their 'power company' - ZETDC from the successful
'anti abuse of power petition campaign' and they pounced like hyenas
threatening peaceful women. They broke the gate and forced their
way in assaulting a lodger and are still occupying the house 6 days
later. The excuse is that they are looking for subversive documents
that oppose the government but we suspect that they have 'planted'
evidence over these days they have been in sole control of the house.
The House of
Assembly Portfolio Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals
Management is holding public hearings on ZESA, in response to the
outcry over electricity supply and cost. There has been wide militarisation
of state enterprises, and ZESA Holdings is no exception. In April
last year it was intelligence agents masquerading as security officers
who enforced the arrest of Jennifer Williams at ZESA in Harare during
a peaceful protest. The same scenario prevailed on 10 May when a
journalist was arrested at the Bulawayo also by security officers.
We therefore expect ZESA have prevailed upon the police to prevent
WOZA from continuing their 'anti abuse of power' campaign and issuing
the threatened 'red card' to ZESA.
The officers
leading this oppression are Law and Order police, namely George
Levison Ngwenya, Lindani Mpofu, Chikango, Nkomo, Chuchu, S. G. Ndlovu,
known as MaNdlo and another know as Moyo. These officers are involved
in oppression of human rights defenders and some of them are involved
in the torture of members during detention in March of 14 members.
The Joint Monitoring
Implementation Committee is yet to respond to WOZAs report.
Visit
the WOZA fact
sheet
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