16 WOZA activists released but two more arrested
9 August 2007
By Violet Gonda

More than a dozen activists from the Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise were finally released on Thursday, but they had been badly beaten. They were arrested on Tuesday while playing a game of netball and mixed soccer when state security agents arrested them at Macheke Stadium in Masvingo. The victims spent two cold nights in police cells in their sports uniform. They were released after being forced to pay admission of guilt fines.

WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams said all 16 activists were badly beaten. She said: “At lunchtime two (members) of our support team were going to bring food to those in custody and they were subsequently arrested and as we speak those two are still in police custody. We hope they won’t be assaulted as the others were last night.”

Meanwhile, Tapera Kapuya the coordinator of the National Constitutional Assembly said there is still no information on the whereabouts of Mannex Mawuya, the NCA acting youth chairperson in Manicaland who went missing two weeks ago. Mawuya has not been seen since his release from police custody in Mutare. The NCA said he had been severely assaulted by state security agents.