Members of WOZA and MOZA held four community-based protests in Harare and Chitungwiza today, taking to the streets of Domboramwari, Glen View, Kuwadzana and Makoni Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza.

In Domboramwari, 100 women and men marched from the main water point to the shopping centre, carrying balloons that read ‘Stand Up for Your Child’ and handing out flyers urging people to vote in the coming elections. The group chanted slogans in the shopping centre for some time before dispersing without incident.

In Chitungwiza, approximately 150 people marched several hundred metres to Makoni Shopping Centre, again handing out flyers and generating much excitement from the Saturday-morning shoppers. As the group was dispersing, a ZANU PF campaign vehicle and police vehicles were seen driving towards the group. At the time of writing, the welfare of Chitungwiza demonstrators is still being ascertained. The song being sung in Shona by the marchers was ‘our children want food, schooling – police, if you harass them, we will be on your backs’

In Glen View, a group of approximately 50 people began marching from Glen View 3 Shopping Centre. It soon became clear however that the balloons and the flyers being handed out, which include children’s games, were causing great excitement amongst the children in the area and many children rushed to join in the procession. As more and more children joined in, it was decided to disperse the procession before it reached the agreed end point as there were concerns for the welfare of the children should police approach.

The final demonstration of the day was held in Kuwadzana where about 75 women and men marched for several hundred metres to Kuwadzana Shopping Centre. Again the peaceful group, with its carnival atmosphere, attracted great attention from shoppers in the market and in the centre. Bicycle police were observed attending the scene shortly after the crowd dispersed. The song being sung in Shona by the marchers was a duet by WOZA and MOZA. The song depicted a child asking their parent to pay school fees and both parents saying there was no money, with the father saying he only had enough money for one pint of beer.

The peaceful protests were to urge people to ‘Stand up for your Child’ and to encourage Zimbabweans to vote and to vote wisely for candidates that will deliver a future for the children. WOZA has taken a position to mobilise Zimbabweans to vote for any candidate that they feel will deliver social justice rather than follow blindly party loyalties.

Yesterday, the Zimbabwe Republic Police in clear contravention of their powers under the new Public Order Security Act (POSA), banned toyi-toying yet did not seem to pay too much undue notice to the peaceful WOZA demonstrations.

To see the flyer that the demonstrators were handing out to passersby, click here. Stand Up for Your Child flyer 3

AT noon today, 600 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe marched to Parliament in Harare to mark International Peace Day. 25 members were arrested at Parliament (most of them handing themselves in) and taken to Harare Central Police Station. 58 more handed themselves in in solidarity with their arrested comrades after marching from Parliament to Harare Central. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have confirmed that the total arrested is 83, both women and men. They will spend the night in custody even though police officers are still not sure what charges to prefer or if they even have a case against the activists as most handed themselves in.

The aim of the peaceful protest was to highlight community safety issues and police behavior in communities. When the peaceful group arrived at Parliament, they handed over a list of demands for members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Police Commissioner and the co-Ministers of Home Affairs to police officers stationed outside Parliament. The full list of demands can also be found below.

Two members addressed the peaceful group outside Parliament explaining that tomorrow (21st September) is International Peace Day and using the example of the violence at COPAC consultations over the weekend to illustrate how Zimbabweans have little experience of peace. They called on the Zimbabwe Republic Police to allow Zimbabweans to be able to give their views of what they want in a new Constitution without violence and called on police to arrest those that threatened others or used violence.

Bystanders were overheard supporting the protestors – commenting on the violence shown by police officers in recent weeks and how police officers should be ashamed of themselves for not being the ones to keep the peace.

WOZA members have been worried about the performance and professionalism of our police officers for some time. As a result, WOZA has observed their behavior in select communities in Bulawayo and Harare for four months.

WOZA members observed police officers beating suspects in public; harassing vendors and taking their goods for their own use, without any receipting; demanding and accepting bribes, both in public and at police stations; drinking in uniform in public, sometimes stopping to drink while escorting suspects who will be under arrest and making people under arrest ‘run’ in front of their motor bikes and/or horses to the police station. In Bulawayo, many police officers refuse to respond to citizens’ complaints if they speak in the Ndebele language, insisting they speak in Shona.

75% of people whose rights were violated during arrest reported damages, injuries and or loss of property. These incidents are common when one is arrested by the plain-clothed and municipal police.

A more detailed account of our findings can be found in the Woza Moya newsletter below. The investigations done during the four months is just a small part of what is happening and are a reflection of a poor relationship between police and the community. It is clear that police officers routinely violate human rights and do not follow proper protocols of arrest and detention. In this regard, they are not following the Zimbabwe Police Act, the ZRP Service Charter and ZRP Service Standards as well as regional and international standards and instruments.

These arrests come after many constitutional consultations in Harare over the weekend were marred by violence from ZANU PF youth. It is unclear how many, if any, of these violent youths have been arrested and yet 83 peace activists, asking police to work together with them to promote community safety, are the ones that have been arrested.

WOZA is currently suing the co-Ministers of Home Affairs over the filthy and inhumane conditions in Harare Central Police Station. By all accounts, conditions have not improved and are still soiled with human waste.

Please phone Harare Central Police Station on +263 4 777777 to demand that the WOZA activists be released immediately.

For the full list of demands and more information on WOZA’s observations of police behaviour in Harare and Bulawayo over the last four months, click here: Woza Moya Sep-10

For more information on the ZRP Service Charter, Service Standards or the SARPCCO Harare Protocol Code of Conduct, click on the following links: ZRP Service Charter, ZRP Service Standards, SARPCCO Hre Protocol-Code of Conduct

Eight members of WOZA were arrested in Pumula this morning whilst putting up posters in the high-density suburb. The group of women were putting up posters encouraging Zimbabweans to stand up for their child and vote in next week’s elections. They were taken to Pumula Police Station and questioned for 30 minutes before being released without charge.

Questions included why they were wearing t-shirts telling people to vote (they were wearing Crisis Coalition t-shirts which also urge people to vote on 29 March) and what Stand Up for Your Child means. They were finally told to stop encouraging people to vote – to leave that to the politicians – and released.

With one week left before the election, the arbitrary arrest of citizens who were not campaigning for any political party but merely exhorting people to exercise their democratic right to vote is yet another indication that next week’s polls are being held in an environment that is not free or fair. Nonetheless, WOZA continues to encourage Zimbabweans to be ready to stand up and be counted on 29 March – make your choice, cast your vote, register your protest.

To see a copy of the poster that the women were putting up when they were arrested, click here: stand-up-poster-3.pdf

AT noon today 700 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise marched through central Harare to the offices of the state-owned Herald newspaper, handing out Valentine cards, red roses and abbreviated copies of WOZA’s report on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe. No arrests have been reported at the time of this release.

In typical WOZA fashion, six protests started separately and converged on the offices of the Herald. The peaceful groups sang as they marched, handing out roses and Valentine cards to excited Saturday shoppers who rushed forward to accept the gifts. At the Herald offices, the peaceful protestors chanted slogans for a few minutes before leaving a copy of the report, a Valentine rose and a WOZA scarf at the door before dispersing without incident.

The report, entitled ‘Hearts starve as well as bodies – give us bread but give us roses too! Democratising Zimbabwe – an opportunity to shine!‘ is a snapshot of community activists’ views on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU). It also urges Zimbabweans to participate in democratizing Zimbabwe.

The Valentine cards handed out by the marchers read: “It is not enough that bread has returned to our shelves. Our hearts are also starving for a people-driven constitution. We demand a living constitution that will give us bread and roses too! Just like the thorns on a rose, love comes with pain, we must be willing to fight through the pain to get our new constitution. Demand your Rose – stand up for love. Shine Zimbabwe Shine!”

Songs sung by the peaceful protestors included: “We want our constitution; we want our rose“, “love is needed in Zimbabwe urgently“, “it is difficult to live in a country where thorns are in our way, we need to kneel and pray” and “if your heart is troubled, trust in the Lord (John 14:1).”

The peaceful protest today was a test of civic and media freedoms under the GNU at a time when the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) is being publicly debated in Zimbabwe.

A full copy of the report can be found at the following link: Hearts starve as well as bodies: a WOZA perspective on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe

Free Williams and Mahlangu appeal

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE                                                        CASE NO. HC

HELD AT BULAWAYO                                                                            EX REF: HC 37/10

EX REF: S.C53/09

EX REF CRB 2857-8/08

In the matter between:

JENNIFER WILLIAMS 1^ST APPLICANT

and

MAGODONGA MAHLANGU 2^ND APPLICANT

and

THE STATE RESPONDENT

I the undersigned Jennifer Williams do hereby make oath and state as follows.

1. I am the Applicant herein and my address of service is c/o my legal practitioners of record.

1. The 2^nd Applicant is Magodonga Mahlangu of the same address of service.

1. The Respondent is the state as represented by the Attorney – General’s office whose address of service is 3^rd Floor, Tredgold Building Fort Street, L. Takawira Ave, Bulawayo.

1. The brief history of this matter is as follows

The 2^nd Applicant and I have been appearing in the magistrate’s court facing a charge of contravening section 37 (i) (a) (1) of the criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act – participating in conduct likely to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry in that on the 16^th of October 2009 we together with others allegedly gathered at Mhlahlandlela Government complex singing and chanting slogans realizing there was a real risk or possibility of forcibly disturbing the peace, security and order of the public.

1. We then made an application in the magistrates court for referral of the matter to the Supreme Court on the grounds that the aforesaid section of the Criminal Law Code violates sections 20, 21 and 22 of the Constitution. Such application was dismissed by the court a quo.

1. We then made a direct application to the Supreme Court in terms of section 24 (1) of the constitution where we were alleging that the refusal by the magistrate to refer the matter to the Supreme Court violated section 18 (1) of the constitution by denying us the right to approach the Supreme Court as enshrined in section 24 (2) of the constitution.

1. Such application was filed in the Supreme Court on the 10^th of March 2009. The matter was argued in the Supreme Court on the 4^th of June 2009 and The Honourable Chief Justice Chidyausiku undertook to hand down judgement on the application by the 7^th of July 2009 which was going to be our next remand date in the magistrates court.

1. As at the 7^th of July 2009 no judgement had been handed down by the Supreme Court. We continued appearing several times on remand in the magistrate court and the State through the Chief Law Officer Mrs Cheda kept saying we should be given long remands with the hope that on the next remand date the Supreme Court would have made its ruling on our application. All that was to no avail as the Supreme Court has not even up to now made its ruling. Repeated efforts to pursue the ruling through the Supreme Court registrar proved futile as she kept advising that the Supreme Court is yet to make its ruling.

1. The Registrar upon enquiry from us, had to write a letter marked Annexure A which confirmed that indeed the Supreme Court was still seized with the matter and trial in the magistrates court could not proceed. That was after the State had insisted on proceeding to trial despite the fact that the Supreme Court had not made its ruling on the application.

1. On our appearance in court on the 1^st of December 2009 our legal practitioners of record then made an application for refusal of further remand on the grounds that there was no need for us to be continuously remanded since the trial, as more fully appears in Annexure A, could not take off until the Supreme Court had made its ruling on our application. As such considering that the Supreme Court up to that time had not made its ruling on the matter and there was no indication as to when such ruling would be handed down it would be extremely prejudicial and more so needless for us to keep coming to court indefinitely while we await the Supreme Court ruling which would be handed down on some unknown date.

1. Moreover we argued that the state was not going to lose anything by our removal from remand as we could be summoned for trial should our application fail in the Supreme Court.

1. The State prosecutor opposed the application arguing inter-alia that he had been informed by the Director of Public Prosecutors that the Supreme Court had advised that the ruling would be delivered by end of December 2009.

1. The Court a quo delivered its ruling on our application for refusal of further remand on the 21^st of December 2009 a copy of which is hereto attached marked Annexure B. The magistrate in dismissing the Application ruled that we are the ones who caused the delay in the finalization of this matter by filing the Constitutional application in the Supreme Court and secondly that at any rate according to the State the Supreme Court was likely to deliver its ruling by end of December 2009.

1. With the greatest respect the court a quo erred in its ruling. It appeared to accuse us of causing the delay of the trial by approaching the Supreme Court. It did not seem to take cognizance of the fact that approaching the Supreme Court on a constitutional issue is a right enshrined at law and protected by section 24(1) and (2) of the Constitution. We were within our rights to approach the Supreme Court and cannot be penalized for that. The court a quo’s decision in condemning us for approaching the Supreme Court was a serious and grave misdirection on its part with the result that the eventual decision premised on that ground was grossly unreasonable and irregular.

1. Aggrieved by the court a quo’s ruling we then filed an application for review whereby we were challenging its decision as being anter-alia grossly unreasonable and irregular. The application was filed under cover of case no. H.C 37/10 which proceedings I beg leave to incorporate herein by reference.

1. The said application is as such pending before this Honourable Court and since it has only recently been filed determination on it is definitely not going to be any time soon.

1. We were remanded by the court a quo to the 24^th of February 2010. It is fairly obvious that by then the aforesaid application for review would not have been disposed of and as such it would mean we would have to be remanded to some other date. On that next date it might be the same story as it is common cause that court matters take fairly long to be heard. Since it is fairly obvious that by the 24^th of February 2010 the review application would not have been disposed of it therefore becomes necessary to have proceeded by way of an urgent chamber application as opposed to an ordinary court application. If we had launched this application as an ordinary one chances are extremely high that by the 24^th of February 2010 it would not even have been allocated a hearing date. This would therefore render the relief sought academic since we would have to continue on remand until the application is heard at a later date in future.

1. This would occasion immense prejudice to us as we would have to continue on the remand system indefinitely until our review application is determined by this court.

1. Our free movement is curtailed as we would have to be continuously appearing in court without any indication as to when our matter would ever be finalized.

1. Worse still as at this point the Supreme Court still has not delivered its ruling on our constitutional application despite the State’s assurances in the court a quo that such ruling would be delivered by end of December 2009. We are as such back to the same scenario where we not only have to wait indefinitely for the Supreme Court to deliver its ruling on our constitutional application but also where we have to wait for this court indefinitely to adjudicate on our review application.

1. We are as such faced with a unenviable situation whereby we might have to wait for a very long time before any determination and ruling is ever made on either applications. Worse still we are apprehensive the Respondent might insist on commencing our trial despite the pending applications as it has attempted to do so previously.

1. The state I must reiterate suffers no prejudice if we are to be removed from remand since it can always, and I must say has the capacity to summon us for trial should our constitutional application be thrown out by the Supreme Court. Conversely we suffer the extreme prejudice and inconvenience of having to be continuously appearing in the magistrates court on remand for an indefinite period.

We thus seek an order removing us from remand pending determination on our application for review and restraining the Respondent from initiating our prosecution.

Wherefore I pray for an order in terms of the attached Draft.

SWORN TO AND SIGNED AT BULAWAYO THIS DAY OF JANUARY 2010

……………………………………….

JENNIFER WILLIAMS

………………………………………

COMMISIONER OF OATHS

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE                                              CASE NO. HC

HELD AT BULAWAYO                                                                   EX REF: HC 37/10

EX REF: S.C53/09

EX REF CRB 2857-8/08

In the matter between:

JENNIFER WILLIAMS 1^ST APPLICANT

and

MAGODONGA MAHLANGU 2^ND APPLICANT

and

THE STATE RESPONDENT

I the undersigned Magodonga Mahlangu do hereby make oath and state as follows.

1. I am the 2^ndApplicant herein and my address of service is c/o my legal practitioners of record.

1. The other parties are as cited in the Founding Affidavit.

1. I have read and understood the 1^st Applicant’s Founding Affidavit and I confirm the contents therefore and identify myself with the same.

Wherefore I also pray for an order in terms of the attached Draft.

SWORN TO AND SIGNED AT BULAWAYO THIS DAY OF JANUARY 2010

……………………………………….

MAGODONGA MAHLANGU

………………………………………

COMMISIONER OF OATHS

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE                                               CASE NO. HC

HELD AT BULAWAYO                                                                   EX REF: HC 37/10

EX REF: S.C53/09

EX REF CRB 2857-8/08

In the matter between:

JENNIFER WILLIAMS 1^ST APPLICANT

and

MAGODONGA MAHLANGU 2^ND APPLICANT

and

THE STATE RESPONDENT

I, JOB SIBANDA a Legal Practitioner of this Honourable Court practicing under Messrs Job Sibanda and Associates do hereby certify that I have read the Applicant’s Founding Affidavit and confirm that the matter is urgent for the following reasons:

1) The Applicants filed a review application in this Honourable Court wherein they were challenging the Court a quo’s decision dismissing their application for refusal of further remand.

2) They are due to appear for further remand in the magistrates court on the 24^th of February 2010.

3) The review application has only recently been filed on the 10^th of January 2010 and it is common cause that by the time of their next appearance in the magistrates court the review application would not have been disposed of let alone even set down.

4) This would then mean they mean would have to be further remanded to some other date and thereby their continuance on remand is perpetuated rendering the filing of the review application of academic relevance.

5) It is thus essential that this matter be dealt with urgently as going by way of an ordinary court application would mean that by their next remand date the application would not have been heard

6) There is also a reasonable apprehension that the Respondent might insist on proceeding with the trial despite the fact that there is a pending constitutional application in the Supreme Court. as it has attempted to do so previously.

In the premises I certify that this matter warrants the urgent attention of this Honourable Court.

DATED AT BULAWAYO ON THIS DAY OF JANUARY 2010

…………………………………….

LEGAL PRACTITIONER

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE                                               CASE NO. HC

HELD AT BULAWAYO                                                                   EX REF: HC 37/10

EX REF: S.C53/09

EX REF CRB 2857-8/08

In the matter between:

JENNIFER WILLIAMS 1^ST APPLICANT

and

MAGODONGA MAHLANGU 2^ND APPLICANT

and

THE STATE RESPONDENT ______________________________________________________________________

TAKE NOTICE THAT on the day of 2010 the Honourable Mr Justice sitting at the High Court in BULAWAYO issued a provisional order as shown overleaf.

The annexed, affidavits and documents were used in support of the application of this provisional order.

If you intend to oppose the confirmation of this provisional order, you will have to file a Notice of Opposition in Form No. 29B, together with one or more opposing affidavits, with the Registrar of the High Court at BULAWAYO within ten days after the date on which this provisional order and annextures were served upon you.

You will also have to serve a copy of the Notice of Opposition and affidavit (s) on the Applicant at the address for service specified in the application.

If you do not file an opposing affidavit within the period specified above, this matter will be set down for hearing in the High Court at Bulawayo without further notice to you and will be dealt with as an unopposed application for confirmation of the Provisional Order.

If you wish to have the Provisional Order changed or set aside sooner than the Rules of Court normally allowed and can show good cause for this, you should approach the Applicant or Applicant’s Legal Practitioners to agree in consultation with the Registrar, on a suitable hearing date.

If this cannot be agreed or there is great urgency, you may make a chamber application on Notice to the Applicant for directions from a Judge as to when the matter can be argued.

TERMS OF THE FINAL ORDER SOUGHT

1. That the Respondent be and is hereby interdicted from summoning, causing or attempting to cause the Applicants to be placed on remand in respect of case NO. CRB 2857-8/08 until the proceedings in case NO. HC 37/10 are finalized.

1. The Respondent be and is hereby restrained from instituting or attempting to institute the prosecution of the Applicants in the magistrates court in CRB No. 2857-8/08 until the proceedings in Supreme Court Case No. S.C 53/09 are finalized.

1. The Respondent to pay the costs of this application only if it opposes it.

INTERIM RELIEF GRANTED

1. Pending finalization of the review application under case no. HC 37/10 the Applicants be and are hereby removed from remand in the magistrates court CRB NO. 2857-8/08

SERVICE OF THE PROVISIONAL ORDER

To be served upon the Respondent by the Applican’t Legal Practitioners.

Refugee Seven:

The Refugee Seven appeared on 6th January 2010. They were due to hear the magistrate’s ruling on whether they could be removed off remand whilst their case is being heard before the Supreme Court. The ruling was not ready however and so the group was further remanded to 12th January. On the 12th, the magistrate was not available and so the group was again further remanded to 25th January. On the 25th, the magistrate finally gave her ruling, denying the activists the right to be removed off remand. They were further remanded to 25th February 2010.

Williams and Mahlangu:

The duo had appeared in Bulawayo Magistrates Court on 18th December 2009 but Magistrate Msipa was not ready with her ruling on whether the pair could be removed off remand. They were further remanded to 21st December. On the 21st, she refused the request to remove the activists off remand saying that they had brought the delay upon themselves by taking a challenge to the Supreme Court. The pair was further remanded to 24th February 2010.

At the beginning of the year, defense lawyer, Kossam Ncube made an urgent application to the High Court for Magistrate Mspia to be reviewed, claiming that her ruling as being ‘anter-alia grossly unreasonable and irregular‘. A copy of this application can be found in the legal documents folder.

The 10-day waiting period elapsed without the state responding to the application. It was passed unopposed on 28th January 2010 and an order for the activists to be removed off remand was issued.

WOZA is delighted that Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu have finally been removed off remand in a case that has been ongoing since 16 October 2008 but are concerned that the ruling from the Supreme Court has still not been received.

MIRIRA MWANA WAKO

Zvesarudzo zvakauya zvikapera saka veWOZA varikuda kuongorora avo vemuno muZimbabwe nedzira yavakanovota nemoyo murefu kwavaka zvipamidza vakamirira vekuZEC kuthi vaite zvinuzvavo zvakanaka. Viki rapera kusisina zwakapuda musarudzo, vekuZEC varikuderera moyo yedu mirefu. Vamwe vedu takano vota tichiziva kuti zvichapuda musarudzo yedu zvichabiwa. Ma poritidzhieni varikungotukana Zimbabwe ichitsva. Kana uchiverenga izvi, funga mwana wako nezvawaimudira kuti aveneupenyu wakanaka. Funga kuti vana vako varikuyiteyi. Varikudzidza zvakanaka here kuchikoro kana varikurara ne maka yokuti hakuna vadzidzisi? Vaka rainira mvura kana varikutema huni? Kana varikure kunedzimwenyika? Ndiyo mangwana  wayinge uchivarotera here? Kana zvakabuda musarudzo zvakangobatirirwa, kuchagara kusina vatongi vatsva negutsaruzhinji ratinoda. Kuswikira rini takangomirira zvapuda musarudzo isu takotoona kwatakavhotera kuti takavhotera mutsauko. Viki rakapera, vanu vakanovota kuti vataure asi matauriro edu hasi kundzvika. Nasi izuva reku mira nerunyararo tichi cheukidza veku ZEC nemaporitizhieni kuti ISU, vavoti, ndisu varidzi vevhoti atimbo vumi kuti vangonyarara vasingatinzvi. Ngavanyare zvatakasarudza tichiyisa X.

Mwana asinga chemi anofira mumbereko.

MWANA WAKO AKATARISIRA IWEWE KUTI UMIRE NEKUNYARARA KUTI UDZIVIRIRE SARUDZO YAKO NEKU SUNUNGURA KUBUDA KWESARUDZO YAKO.

Nasi izuva rekuti tirambe takamira nekuda kutongwa kwevanhu kwakanaka.

Sarudzo yedu muviki rakapera yange irimwe ndzira yekuyeuchidza vatongi vedu kuti tirikuda gutsaruzhinji, inovumira kuti vanhu vose vawane ,mikana yakayenzana pakunzvanana kwevanhu, paupfumi wenyika, remekedzo rwedzimwe ndudzi, zvitendero, pasina basa kuti varungu, vatema, vanababa kana vanamai, vakapfuma, vasina, kana panezvose zvekubatirira vanhu.

Izvi ndizvo zvange tichifungidzira patakano sarudza vatongi vedu.  Tirikuda vatongi vacha kuridzira izvi:

·    Kugutsikana nemakodzero mutsika, nemagariro, zvematongerwo enyika, zvehupfumi
·    Mikana yakayenzana munzvimbo dzatinogara nemikana yakayenzana muvanhurume nevanhukadzi kuyenzana kwemarudzi akasiyana
·    Kuremekedza kodzero dzevanhu zvikuru kodzero dzevanhukadzi nevana
·    Rusununguko mukutaura zwaunoda, kusangana nekuwirirana newawunoda
·    Remekedzo rwedzimwe ndudzi nezvitendero zvevanhu
·    Kubuda pachena pane zvese zvavarikuita nekukwanisa kupindura mivunzo zvinogutsa.
·    Mikana yakayenzana munezvematongerwo enyika nezvehupfumi
·    Wese aparamhosva anofanirwa kutongwa pangasingatariswe kuti ndiani – uye mikana mukutongwa kunoenzana nekunzwisisa mutemo
·    Gachiriro yezviyitiko zvakayitika kare zvashunguradza vanhu zvakayita seGukurahundi neMurambatsvina
·    Gutsaruzhinji
·    Kuve nemukana wekuwana dzidzo
·    Kuve nemukana wekuwana kudya kwakakwana
·    Kuve nemukana wekuwana dzimba, magetsi, chimbudzi nemvura yakachena
·    Kunge tichirapwawo muzvipatara nemari dziripasi uyezve kuwana mishonga nemaARV’s
·    Mikana yakayenzana mukugoviwa kwevhu nezvokurimisa
·    Mikana yakayenzana munezvemabasa zvekuzvibatsira nehupfumi nekodzero yako yekunge uchiwana mari inokuraramisa
·    Kuva ne zvivakwa nezvifambiso zvisingadhure
·    Kushandiswa kwezviwanikwa zvedu ngakuite kuti zviwanikwa zvedu zvekurarama nekusingaperi

Sevana vemuZimbabwe tinofanirwa kuwana kutongwa kwakanaka kwevanhu kwatinogara tichizvitaura, asi tichazviwana kana takazvigadzirira kuramba takamira tichivaudza vatongi vedu zvatinoda isusu. Ngatitangei nasi.

Iyi ndiyo nguva yokusimba wakamirira mangwana yemwana wako

STAND UP FOR YOUR CHILD
Participate in reclaiming our country’s future

The election date has been announced for 29 March 2008 and we know that now is the time candidates will be coming to us making all kinds of promises to make us vote for them. It is also the time when people realise that they have the chance to decide who will lead our country. WOZA wants you to realise that now is also the time when you should be seriously looking at what the future holds for the next generation. When you read this newsletter, please sit down and think about your child and the dreams you had of a better life for them. Look around you at what your children are doing. Are they in school studying hard and doing well or sleeping on their desks without teachers? Are they queuing at the boreholes or in the bush looking for firewood? Or far away in a foreign land? Is this the future you imagined for them?

YOUR CHILD EXPECTS YOU TO CHANGE THIS BY TAKING FOUR STEPS
1.    Register to vote and check that your name appears on the voters roll.
2.    Attend any rally that you can and ask questions of the candidates, so you can be sure you will vote wisely.
3.    Get up early on 29 March 2008 and go and vote. There are many candidates in this election and we recommend that you vote for a candidate rather than a party. If we do not have independent observers; a proper delimitation process; vote counting and announcement directly from the polling station, then the election process is flawed and can easily be rigged so we must all be vigilant and watch out for those who cheat.
4.    Defend your vote from the time you cast it until it is counted and announced. Just the same way you defend your child, you should defend your vote.

We are disappointed that the election date has been made without our 10 steps and hope that we will vote for someone who will address these steps within 100 days of office.

1.    Violence, in all its forms, must be stopped to allow for a period of healing, peace and justice.
2.    The winners of the election should convene an all-stakeholders’ conference with the following participants: all political parties, non-governmental organisation, churches, labour, business, youth and women all meeting on an equal basis.  Their agenda is to devise a programme for peace and development using the PEOPLE model – People for Economic Opportunity, Peace, Learning and Empowerment
3.    They should also constitute an All-Stakeholders’ Commission with the mandate to outline a process of constitution making. Initiate a constitution-making process, including a plan for transitional justice, consulting all Zimbabweans both at home and abroad.
4.    Having assumed legislative power, they should repeal oppressive legislation against freedom of expression and assembly such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). An end to the selective application of other laws.
5.    Conduct an audit of civil servants, the judiciary and law enforcement agents as to their professional and non-partisan conduct. Offenders should be sent to re-training/community service or for prosecution. The youth militia should be disbanded and the defence forces should be confined to barracks for retraining.
6.    Begin the process of re-engaging the international community with a view to rehabilitating the economy aimed at job creation.
7.    Carry out a land audit to lay the basis for a permanent and equitable solution to land reform, while promoting immediate resumption of food production.
8.    Take the resulting constitutional and transitional justice proposals to a referendum supervised by Southern African Development Community (SADC). Ensure the referendum has been conducted according to the SADC protocols and under international and regional supervision with international and local observers.
9.    Prepare for the referendum, including reconstituting the Registrar General’s department, preparing new electoral laws, appointing an independent electoral commission and delimitation commission to prepare an electoral roll and prepare for the election.
10.

On Valentine’s Day, WOZA march for Bread and Roses – bread representing the need for affordable food and the roses representing dignity and the call for social justice.  In 2008, nothing has changed. We still need to afford to eat and we still desire a dignified and good life – a life where we can enjoy social justice, a life that we have outlined in the People’s Charter.

Social justice can be defined as a system where people have equal opportunities/access to social, economic, cultural, religious and political needs regardless of race, gender, creed or any other form of discrimination.

It can be the way we interact with others and a method of governance that includes the following:
·    Full enjoyment of all social, political, economic and cultural rights
·    An equal society including gender equality
·    Respect for human rights including women’s and children’s rights
·    Freedoms including speech, assembly and association
·    Respect and tolerance of diversity – culture and religion
·    Transparency and accountability
·    Equal participation in political and economic decision-making
·    Equal application of the law – access to justice and understanding of the law
·    Correction of past injustices such as Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina
·    Gutsaruzhinji/inhlalakahle yabantu (Good living)
·    Access to affordable education
·    Adequate and affordable food
·    Access to affordable housing, electricity, sanitation and clean water
·    Access to affordable healthcare and medication including anti-retrovirals (ARVs)
·    Equal and fair access to fertile land, inputs, equipment and secure ownership
·    Equal opportunities to resources, employment, self-help projects and the right to earn a living wage
·    Development of adequate infrastructure and access to affordable transport
·    Environmentally sustainable usage of resources

As Zimbabweans we deserve the social justice that we talk about but we can only get it if we are prepared to stand up and demand it from our leaders. Make a start today.

 

Stand up for your child’s future.

Stand up for your child in 2008

2008 has started with huge increases in school fees. When schools closed last year, there were very few teachers, almost no books and many children had already dropped out because they could not pay the fees. This year is no better. The country is a disaster; even if you have money, you cannot get cash or easily find something to buy. There is nothing to celebrate and very little that people can smile about. But you will always find children smiling and laughing – they are happy that someone loves them and will stand up for them. Many parents sacrifice for their child to be educated. In some countries, parents are even sent to jail if they do not send their children to school. But in Zimbabwe, parents cannot provide their children with this basic right to an education.

Our government, which is a government of ‘parents’ and so-called liberation war veterans, knows that the war was fought with the promise of FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION. Blood was spilt for this promise to have been fulfilled. Instead of enjoying the fruits of liberation, after school fees went up by 1,000% last year, school fees are again being increased by millions this year. Government is now also saying that they cannot afford to pay teachers and want the parents to pay them. Is the country bankrupt? If it is then why is there money for the CIO to do whatever they want to do and for the chefs to get new cars? Where are they getting the money from and why can this money not be used to fulfil the promise of free primary education?

Our education system is being allowed to collapse and our children’s future is being sacrificed on the altar of political power by a bunch of corrupt, insensitive, selfish thieves. Can we continue to keep quiet whilst our children are robbed of their future?

Is it a good thing for parents to vote for a politician who has stolen our children’s hopes and dreams? Too many of our children have been forced to become thieves and prostitutes in order to survive or die alone in foreign countries, far away from their loved ones.

Every parent dreams of a better life for their children – that their children will grow strong, be happy, have many children of their own and be successful enough to look after us in our old age. During the liberation war, we were promised free primary education because they wanted all Zimbabweans to be highly educated. To allow the education system to collapse is a crime – for how long must we have to suffer for the crimes of this government? They are stealing our future, which is the same as stealing our lives.

Now is the time to stand strong for your children’s future and for your own.

Remember the proverb taught to us by our ancestors – look after your children because they will look after you when you are old. Chirere chakura chichakurerawo / mondle angakhula uzakondla lawe.

Another African proverb tells us that when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. Let us learn from the wisdom of our ancestors – if we come together, we can take back our children’s future.

WOZA urges you to join us in 2008 in standing up for the future of our children.