WOZA launches new report on violence

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 October, 2007

Johannesburg was the location for the launch on Tuesday of a new report by the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), which highlights violence and abuse by state agents against their members. Several victims related their experiences at the launch, with some breaking down into tears as they recalled severe beatings and torture at the hands of state agents.

WOZA coordinator Magodonga Mahlangu told Newsreel they launched the report in South Africa to show their displeasure at comments by officials in that country who said elections in Zimbabwe next year will be free and fair. South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki is mediating talks between Zimbabwe’s ruling party and the opposition and has said the talks are going well and will lead to free and fair elections.

Mahlangu said: “Where there is violence there can never be free elections. And there is increased violence against us. There is also oppressive legislation like AIPPA and POSA so there will be no free or fair voting.”
The report, which was based on a survey of WOZA members from 2000 to 2007, says women activists opposed to the government are regularly tortured and sexually abused by agents of the state. Mahlangu explained that this includes the police and officials from the Law and Order division.

The report read in part: "The women endured various forms of torture, including beatings with a variety of instruments ... baton sticks, booted feet, wooden planks, being slapped, and falanga (beatings on the bottom of the feet)." The women also suffered humiliating and degrading acts while in police custody. Mahlangu said some were forced to remove their underwear and denied sanitary pads by the police.
The WOZA coordinator said copies of the report were delivered to the Police Administrative Office in Bulawayo earlier this month. Some women were arrested on that occasion as well. She added that WOZA will be taking the report to Zimbabwe’s police commissioner Augustine Chihuri in Harare. A more detailed report compiled from the over 2000 interviews with WOZA members will be released soon.