30 WOZA activists still in detention, babies released

By Violet Gonda
30 November 2006

WOZA spokesperson Annie Sibanda said the women, including 4 members of the Men of Zimbabwe Arise and a Presbyterian priest, are expected to appear in court on Friday. 36 WOZA activists who were arrested in Bulawayo have been charged under two sections of the notorious Criminal Law and Codification and Reform Act, although 6 of the women who were arrested with their babies were released on Thursday afternoon. They are accused of causing ‘a breach of the peace and interfering with the ordinary comforts of the public.’

Members of the pressure group were arrested after riot police violently broke up their gathering Wednesday. It’s reported that some of the arrested including the leaders, Jennie Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, were beaten. Sibanda told us that some of those in detention need medical attention but the police are blocking this. The victims lawyer, Advocate Perpetua Dube, was allegedly threatened with arrest, for “interfering with the course of justice” whilst trying to attend to her clients. The activists are being held in a courtyard cage at Bulawayo Central police station.

In an extraordinary twist Advocate Dube was yesterday able to secure the release of a baby who had been separated from it’s mother. The mother had not been arrested but the child had.

Meanwhile the 18 month old baby who was hurt yesterday sustained a broken leg. The WOZA spokesperson said the baby was sitting on her mother’s lap when police started to beat people, ‘They caused a stampede scenario where people were trying to escape from being beaten and somebody actually stepped on the baby’s leg in the chaos that was caused.”

Another elderly woman also had a broken leg while several other people had minor injuries.

The vicious attack by the police comes in the middle of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence campaign, embarked on by WOZA this past Saturday. Sibanda said although some areas have started banging pots and honking their car horns, the group is urging more Zimbabweans to join in a noise protest for two minutes at 8pm every evening during this period. She said this is to commemorate 16 days of activism against gender violence and human rights abuses.

Police continue to refuse to comment.