Back to Index
Police
must deliver freedom and development
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
September 20, 2013
This is the full text
of the demands delivered yesterday to parliament and responded to
with baton sticks and a 3 hour detention of 3 WOZA leaders, Williams,
Mahlangu and Nyamanindi before police politely 'showed the 3 the
way out'!
The 21st September
is celebrated the world over as a day of Peace. Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA) members will also celebrate this day by presenting
their peaceful demands to local and national Government.
Our
theme: PEACE must deliver FREEDOM and DEVELOPMEMT for all!
WOZA members selected
this theme as a way to explain to their political leadership that
Zimbabweans cannot enjoy ‘peace’ in the absence of or
without FREEDOM and DEVELOPMENT. Members have heard so many statements
that there is peace in Zimbabwe, that elections were held in peace.
It seems that there is too much showing off about PEACE that the
word is becoming too cheaply used. The time has come for politicians
to respect our right to genuine peace that comes with enjoyment
of our freedoms and development. For too long these rights have
been sanctioned or abused by politics. We want the sanctions to
be lifted on our rights and we want an end to rule by politics and
demand Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act be given
a chance to rule. WOZA consulted members on their immediate demands
to the new national and local governments and submit the following
lists.
Service
delivery DEMANDS to the new local government
1. Firstly we
want to thank council for complying with the ministerial directive
for 100% debt forgiveness.
2. We await
road reconstruction and maintenance to reduce accidents, the President
also promised infrastructure development.
3. More clinics
and improved health including a better treatment by health care
professionals in clinics and hospitals.
4. A more meaningful
education system and a boost to the education facilities and decent
salaries for teachers.
5. A consulted
and genuine programme to ensure plentiful supply of affordable clean
water.Proper Water and Electricity billing systems and the installation
of water meters and prepaid meters in all houses.
6. Swift response
to sewage bursts and blockages and repairing of trenches and sewer
pipes. Provision of sanitary facilities such as clean public toilets.
7. Ensuring
a clean environment through efficient and regular garbage collection
service and provision of garbage bins. Council to conduct a serious
clean up exercise in public places such as beer halls and bus terminuses.
8. Provision
of decent housing for all and proper home ownership schemes in the
older township communities.
9. We demand
for stakeholder participation and consultative decision making in
all budgets and equal employment opportunities without tribalism
or political discrimination.
10. Provision
of hawkers licenses and affordable license fees to vendors and tuck
shop owners.
11. Council
must introduce income generating projects such as clubs, gardening,
sewing to help women to reduce poverty.
12. Repair dilapidated
structures such as, community buildings and stadiums. The provision
of recreational and training facilities for the youths to reduce
criminal activities such as theft, drug and alcohol abuse. Maintenance
of street and tower lights.
13. Lastly we
want ZETDC to convene public hearings to explain why they are not
implementing the political directive for 100% debt forgiveness.
DEMANDS
for the new Government
1. An IMMEDIATE
and public plan of action as to how parliament is going to undertake
the harmonisation of laws to bring them into line with the new constitution.
The Zanu PF manifesto can never replace our Constitution and so
such talk must stop.
2. EMPOWEREMENT
- Despite the spirit of gender equality in the new constitution,
women are being actively sidelined out of national processes. Prove
us wrong by publicising and implementing the affirmative action
policy plan for women and the vulnerable and less privileged groups
in society e.g. the elderly, widows, children, orphans and the disabled.
3. JOBS - publicise
the policy plan for the creation of the promised employment. Starting
with the resourcing and re-opening of Industries and creation of
a climate for investment and cooperation of manufacturing our own
goods so the scrap yards can become functioning business once again.
4. ECONOMIC
RECOVERY - publicise a consulted economic recovery plan which includes
attracting foreign investment. If there is a proper climate for
genuine business partnership, investors will not mind a 49% shareholding.
But threats of invasions will chase even the poorest investor. Indigenization
programmes should be implemented with proper long-term planning
and not theorized to make the elite more rich.
5. Provision
of funding for the mining and agricultural sector to ensure increased
productivity and food security to boost the economy.
6. We demand
fair and equitable distribution and management of community resources.
If we are as rich a country as the President said they why are we
so poor? Natural resources must belong to the local communities
and they must see and understand where they have made profits and
where there are losses. We demanded devolution of power in order
to bring development to a community level and we still demand it.
7. Allow civic
organizations to operate freely without fear and intimidation.
8. We demand
an urgent plan of how free primary education and affordable secondary
education promised in the constitution will be delivered by 2014.
9. A plan of
action to end corrupt practices by all people, even those in political
power positions.
10. Sufficient
and attractive salaries for civil servants, doctors and nurses to
avoid brain drain but full implementation that civil servants must
not belong to any political party. We expect an audit of this soon
and very soon.
11. Resourcing
water pipeline projects in order to curb water shortages resulting
in durable water supply. Research and feasibility studies for the
construction of more dams necessary for all towns and cities.
12. A public
plan of action as to how the police force will be transformed into
a police service and the setting up of the independent police complaints
mechanism as stated in the constitution.
Finally the
21 September 2013 marks the launch of the WOZA ‘mother your
vote’ campaign. The vote
cast on 31 July 2013 must be nurtured and cared for as a new
born baby. It must be taught to sit, stand, walk and run. This child
called ‘Vote’ cannot be neglected as the child called
‘Zimbabwe’ has been neglected. WOZA thinks of the new
political leadership as the co-parents of our child ‘Vote’.
WOZA members, the mothers of the nation, intend to keep reminding
the political leadership that they have to be responsible and good
parents. To do this WOZA members will play a game of TAG with the
political leadership. Wikipedia explains the game called TAG as
a game played that involves one or more players chasing other players
in an attempt to "tag" or touch them or make them it!
In the game some players always try to escape being touched or made
‘it’. Watchful WOZA members will be hoping to make the
politicians ‘it’. Being made ‘it’ means
you are playing your co-parenting role of our child called ‘Vote’.
Politicians, including the Executive, Cabinet Ministers, MP’s,
Senators, Councillors, please participate in giving ‘Vote’
a good life. This may be a game and we may be using it to make a
friendly point but this game of TAG will be a very serious game.
Visit
the WOZA fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|