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This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
Statement
on Zimbabwe learning exchange meeting
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
September 01, 2012
Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA) fully associate themselves with the statement made
at the close of the Zimbabwe Learning Exchange Meeting Declaration
of 28 August 2012 convened by the Action Support Centre. WOZA add
their call for the opening up of space for the work of civic society
as we move towards finalisation of our constitutional
reform process.
We also call
on the King Mswati and the Swaziland Police to allow all citizens
the full enjoyment of freedoms of expression and assembly during
the upcoming Global Week of Action on Swaziland.
The time has
come for the people to people solidarity and WOZA members commit
to active solidarity to their sisters and brothers in the region.
It is in this spirit that we express our condolences to the families
of those who lost their lives in the Marikana tragedy.
WOZA adopted
a mandate to practice peaceful protest as human rights defenders
committed to the principles of non violence and universality. For
the last 10 years we have conducted protests on a range of issues,
including partnering with the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions in their right to a decent wage. The
Zimbabwe Republic Police response to the peaceful protests have
been beatings, arrests torture and our activists are persecuted
on a daily basis for their peaceful protest mandate.
As victims of
police brutality and use of excessive force, WOZA are especially
concerned that police officers within the region must be trained
in response to protest situations and in the case of Marikana, in
how they respond to violence without killing the innocently non
violent. We call on South African Police Commissioner general Riah
Phiyega to follow the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation
Organisation protocols. And further probe the role played by the
two rival unions in this tragedy. The articles therein call for
respect for human life and the use of force and torture. Article
8 calls for a police force that the public can trust and police
officials who can be above reproach. These principles have been
called into account by the wanton shooting of the miners. Additionally
we wish to raise our concern at the national prosecuting authority
bringing of murder charges against miners in custody.
WOZA wish to
ring very loud alarm bells that the current events in South Africa
could set unfortunate precedents for the repression of the right
to expression and assembly. We also wish to remind South African
of the inspirational examples they have shown us in removing apartheid
through the use of non violent protest and boycotts. It is unfortunate
that some of the miners were carrying weapons that saw the initial
slaying of 14 people including 2 police officers but still we do
not condone the reaction of the police officers in the subsequent
events. Some of these events inspired the formation of WOZA and
its work to build a movement of committed social justice activists.
We pray our
message will be heard by South Africans and other Southern African
Development Community leaders and citizens.
Visit
the WOZA fact
sheet
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