WOZA duo spend 2nd night in custody

News release

Two WOZA members arrested in Bulawayo on eve of election
TWO members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise are spending their second night in custody at Western Commonage Police Station in Bulawayo. Shamiso Shumba and Sithembiso Sibanda were arrested at 11 am on Friday 28th and have missed their opportunity to vote.
Details as to what transpired for them to be arrested are still being verified but the duo were placing WOZA ‘stand up for your child’ stickers in Matshobana when a member of Zanu PF reported them as damaging a vehicle. They are being charged with criminal damage to property, which should draw a fine and release.
However officers at Western Commonage have told their lawyer that they have had instructions from ‘high up’

that any WOZA members arrested should not be released until Monday.
These arrest follow the arrest of 8 members on Good Friday for putting up posters and stickers in Pumula.
The ‘stand up for your child’ campaign is being conducted to mobilise Zimbabweans to get out to vote and defend their vote. The final communications tools are in the process of being distributed.
Meanwhile WOZA informal observers in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare report that voting has been conducted peacefully although some polling stations got off to a late start. By midday the queues ended and voting continued with only sporadic queues forming. Members have been asked to visit their polling stations to check if results have been posted as is required by law.

Ends
29 March 2008