WOZA activists arrested in Mutare

By Violet Gonda
17 February 2010

The pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise have accused the police in Mutare of going on a door to door campaign in Sakubva Township, to sift out activists who participated in Tuesday’s peaceful protests. Two women, Sibongile Matupe and Rose Rukwewo, were arrested in Mutare on Wednesday and taken to Mutare Central Police Station.

WOZA said in a statement: “How police are identifying participants or why these two particular women have been arrested is unknown.”

The group said lawyers who had been sent to Mutare Central Police Station were being denied access to their clients.

WOZA Coordinator Jenni Williams told SW Radio Africa that the police behavior was pure harassment. Talking about their protest on Tuesday she said: “We were very strategic in selecting the times of our demonstration yesterday. We knew that in Sakubva Hall, MP (Innocent) Gonese was meeting with members of that community and the police were present – debating on the issues of the reform of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA). And as they were talking about it, we were testing it in Central Mutare, in the town.”

Rights groups have described POSA as an unjust law that takes away people’s freedom and Gonese, who is the MDC-T Chief Whip in parliament, introduced a private members Bill in the House to amend the legislation. A parliamentary portfolio committee is currently holding a series of hearings to get public views on the Bill.

Williams added: “And now they have gone and arrested people. It’s very obvious that these public meetings are just talk and there will be nothing about reforming POSA.”

The pressure group also held demonstrations in Harare and Bulawayo and marched to the offices of the state controlled newspapers the Herald and the Chronicle, to test media and civic freedoms under the inclusive government. They also handed out Valentine cards, red roses and abbreviated copies of WOZA’s report on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe to passers-by.