To all Zimbabweans on Valentines Day 2010, our message is simple:

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses too. Shine Zimbabwe Shine! Khazimula Zimbabwe Khazimula! Penya Zimbabwe Penya!

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.

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Report on Democratising Zimbabwe – our opportunity to shine!

In 2009, WOZA shared what we think the building blocks of democracy are with over 11,000 members, urban and rural, through a booklet and workshops. We wanted to raise awareness that Zimbabwe needs a democratic form of government committed to making sure that all the building blocks of democracy are in place for all citizens to enjoy social justice. As 2009 closed, a further consultation of the state of our democracy after the power sharing government was conducted. 4,016 people gave us their views.

Did the power sharing government bring more democracy or lessen it?

Members felt that the power-sharing arrangement has decreased democratic space. There is no genuine sharing of power; too much legal and actual state power is still in the hands of one person – Robert Mugabe. The other two principals are not active enough at wrestling power away from ZANU PF or enforcing the 15 September 2008 GPA. The general feeling was that the power-sharing government may have stabilised the economy but it did not bring democracy. Members also expressed sadness that despite MDC’s holding cabinet positions they have not managed to reduce the harassment of their own members or to increase their member’s freedoms of expression and assembly as well as their free movement. How therefore can they be expected to deliver more freedom for the people of Zimbabwe?

If an election is called and no electoral reform is conducted, will you feel confident that your vote will count?

There is little confidence in an election before the constitutional process is complete, as we need a new system of checks and balances if our votes are to be respected and counted. Some said voting is a risk worth taking as it is the only way to choose the leaders; people will take the risk because they want to have a government made from one party that will rule and concentrate on the constitution-making process. We need SADC, African Union and the United Nations monitors and observers. We need a more transparent appointment process of Zimbabwe Electoral commissioners.

Do you feel that the parliament-led constitutional consultation process can still bring a people-driven constitution?

People want to give their views and write their own constitution but worry that the current consultation process has too many loopholes that can be manipulated to change their views into those wanted by politicians. Because of the public bickering over resources, people are losing confidence in the select committee. The delays are foul play so that time is lost and people are forced to settle for the ‘Kariba Draft’. As long as Mugabe or parliament is the last to verify or debate/finalise the draft, people will not trust that their views will be included. Will it still be called a people-driven constitution if there are only a few prominent persons who have the final say?

Has government spending become more transparent?

We do not see a spirit of transparency and embezzlement and corruption are still rampant. We worry that funds are still being diverted for personal use of politicians. Most people agree that they believe that public funds should go through the Ministry of Finance but the Minister must also be transparent about what he does with it. Mr Biti, why are youth militia employed as civil servants and get paid for beating and maiming people in the name of the ZANU politics. Mr. Biti where are the road repairs you promised when you introduced the tollgates? Pay civil servants a living wage so they stop demanding bribes from ordinary people.

Are civil rights more respected under this government?

The personal security situation for ordinary people is not secure – anyone can be arrested for anything and end up forced to pay a bribe or a fine without any clear wrongdoing. Bring back banned newspapers for a clear signal of open media space.

Has the rule of law improved or become worse?

Most people polled believe that the rule of law in the country has worsened for the following reasons: police officers apply the law selectively or solicit bribes and are not working professionally to reduce crime. Court orders are ignored and law officers still follow political orders when making judgments. Vendors are criminalized and are always on the run despite the need to revive the economy. Illegal land grabs from ZANU officials are continuing.

Has the power sharing government made your personal life better, worse, or nothing has changed?

It is still survival of the fittest. There has been some change for those who are rich but for the poor nothing has changed. The dollarisation of the economy stabilised prices and the economy in general but the gap between rich and poor widened. The reason is simple – there was no increase in employment opportunities and genuine encouragement of informal trade. The few who are employed are paid too little to survive or to put back into the economy as disposable income. Service delivery remains hijacked by too much political interference in local councils; people continue to suffer flowing sewages, increased electricity and water cuts, and many homes going without services for weeks at a time.

As we finalise this report, the power-sharing government turns one year old. The promises made upon its birth filled us with hope and gave Zimbabweans an opportunity to shine. Remember what they said on 15 September 2008 and then again on 12 February 2009 during the swearing in ceremony? “Concerned about the recent challenges that we have faced as a country and the multiple threats to the well-being of our people.”

One year later, this ‘baby’ is taking steps – learning how to walk. The baby has taken the first step – the economy is a bit more stable and food is on the shelves, with a quiet promise of jobs. WOZA, the mothers of the nation, would like to see steps toward a full democratisation of Zimbabweans systems. These are the eight building blocks of basic democracy we need:

1.    Elections – Before the referendum, we need to have confidence that a voter’s roll will be transparently prepared and displayed for viewing. We need a truly independent electoral commission.
2.    Opposition – we need to see democracy in action – a genuine welcoming of different political voices.
3.    Civil rights – we are citizens with rights and must be allowed to enjoy all our rights without fear or harassment. We look forward to the passing of the bill amending POSA. We need to see the promised security sector reform with special attention on police reform because it is police who abuse our rights on a daily basis.
4.    Rule of law – start to prosecute perpetrators of politically motivated violence urgently – everyone must obey the law or be punished.
5.    Separation of powers – the presidential appointment of Tomana and Gono has resulted in a further mixing up of the functions of government. For judicial reform, Tomana and other political appointees in the Attorney General’s office must go and be replaced by professional people who will balance the scales of our justice system.
6.    Equality – we are writing this into our new constitution. Please Parliament Select Committee do not betray this ideal by cheating us when we give you our views.
7.    Transparency and accountability – as long as we have a politically partisan Reserve Bank governor, there will be no investor confidence, jobs will not be available and workers receive a living wage – therefore Gono must go. Minister Tendai Biti, we need more transparency and accountability from you. Studying your strategy from the trenches, it looks you want to squeezing money out of poor peoples pockets to fund the recovery. You need to do better to cushion the poor! You must stop the police from criminalizing informal traders. Please don’t forget about the children’s education, they are our future.
8.    Participation of the people – Our report is called ‘hearts starve as well as bodies – give us bread but give us roses too!’  We want our ‘rose’, which is our own constitution! Allow a genuine people-driven process for the constitutional consultation for our full participation. Disband militia camps and let our children come home. The police must stop arresting people without good reason; you police officers are crucial to allowing people to feel free. To the three principals, you promised us a society free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage, corruption and founded on justice, fairness, openness, transparency, dignity and equality.

ZIMBABWEANS lets us ALL participate in democratizing our country: people must participate and politicians must practice it – this is our opportunity to shine!

WOZA members march to Southampton House in Bulawayo

Following on from a peaceful march to Parliament yesterday, 1,200 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe marked International Peace Day with a peaceful protest to Southampton House in Bulawayo this morning. Southampton House is the provincial headquarters of police in Bulawayo. No arrests have been reported as yet but as several police vehicles are still driving around central Bulawayo, this may change.

As in Harare, the aim of the peaceful protest was to highlight community safety issues and police behavior in communities and to hand over a set 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 be found below.

Four separate groups converged on Southampton House where leaders addressed the peaceful group, calling on police officers to revive their Service Charter and Service Standards. As the demonstrators arrived, a senior-ranking police officer was leaving the building. He was presented with the list of demands, which he accepted and took back into the building. As plain-clothed officers came downstairs to make arrests, the last group arrived on the scene, swelling the numbers of protestors. Leaders also called upon all those present to arrest themselves if as much as one person was arrested. The officers decided against arresting and merely observed as the group then peacefully dispersed.

As the group processed through the streets, a uniformed police officer was overheard commenting that “these women are telling the truth” as he read the Woza Moya newsletter.

Meanwhile the 83 members arrested in Harare yesterday remain in custody. It has also come to light that a MOZA member, Lazarus Mandondo, was severely beaten with baton sticks by police officers during a routine counting exercise last night. It is unclear why he was beaten but there is some concern for his welfare as apparently the beating was severe and witnessed by all detainees.

More details about yesterday’s demonstration and arrests can be found in the previous articles below.

Please continue to phone Harare Central Police Station on +263 4 777777 to demand that the WOZA activists be released immediately and that they be treated with dignity and respect.

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

The 83 members arrested after a peaceful protest to mark International Peace Day appeared in a routine remand hearing in Harare Magistrate’s Court this morning. They were further remanded out of custody to 3 January 2011. This was to allow the usual prosecutor to return from leave. The state had provided a public prosecutor that had no record of the case.

When the group last appeared in court on 1 December, the magistrate had promised that they would be removed off remand if the state’s case was not in order on the 29th. Yet magistrate Donald Ndirowei chose to ignore this earlier promise. 

The group has been charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 46, as read with Section 2(v) of the Third Schedule to the Criminal Code – ‘criminal nuisance’.

Masvingo:
TWENTY members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) appeared on trial before Magistrate Nyamukomba in Masvingo last Monday, charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The prosecutor, D. Charamba, appealed for a postponement with the excuse that no witnesses were willing to come forward and he needed to get advice from the area senior prosecutor before he could proceed. The magistrate refused to allow the extension and granted the defence’s application that the accused be taken off remand. The State was ordered to proceed by way of summons when it had its house in order. The Masvingo 20 were defended by Mr Shumba, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

The members had been arrested on 7th March whilst launching the People’s Charter in the Masvingo provincial capital. They had been required to report to the police station weekly as part of their bail conditions and had appeared in court four times previously. Two previous trial dates had failed to take off.

Bulawayo:
WOZA National Coordinator, Jenni Williams will appear in Bulawayo Magistrates court on Monday 23rd July after being issued with a summons for an arrest during a peaceful protest in 2004. Police had summoned her on two previous occasions for the same arrest but had no docket ready on both occasions. The current summons was served on Williams when she was last in police custody on 6th June. The second appearance will be on 2nd August; again for a 2004 arrest for peaceful protest. Williams has been arrested approximately 30 times in the last five years and has spent the equivalent of two months in custody, with one arrest lasting five days.

Gweru:
In a busy week for WOZA in the courts, the 26 members arrested in Gweru for launching the People’s Charter in the Midlands capital in March, will appear on trial in Gweru Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday 24th July. They are charged under Chapter 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘participating in a public gathering with the intent to cause public disorder, breach of peace or bigotry’. As these were the same charges faced by the Masvingo 20, it is hoped that a similar outcome will occur.

AT 1030am 29 November 2013, one thousand members started 11 separate processions so that they could march to Bulawayo Mhlahlandlela Government complex to hand over a petition to the resident minister Eunice Moyo covering WOZA demands. The petition was successfully handed over to her office but pandemonium prevailed as police disturbed a peaceful protest.

The city had riot or reaction police on most street corners to prevent the start of any protests. Two out of eleven protests arrived at the entrance of Mhlahlandlela without incident but the other eight protest groups were set upon by reaction groups’ police who beat members with baton sticks. One protest was stopped and seated in the tarmac by 16 police officers and when there was not clear instruction as to if they were under arrest, member left and continued their peaceful march.

Two members have been treated for dislocated knee and grazed elbow from baton stick injuries. Over 50 other members report baton stick injuries but were treated with painkillers.

Hundreds of members managed to re- group and made their way to Mhlahlandlela determined to petition as is their right under the constitution.

One single police truck seemed to constantly pick up arrested members who were then released and others arrested making the number of arrested hard to estimate.

WOZA national coordinator, Jenni Williams who had delivered the petition to the minister’s office, then called members to regroup at the complex entrance and told members that the petition had been delivered and signed for and she then signaled that members should peacefully disperse in procession to the nearby bus terminal. After this address, Williams and Mahlangu lead members away but new group of police officers arrived with batons sticks and shields and stopped the dispersal. Police officers surrounded Williams and Mahlangu with huge shields pressed against their bodies and forced them into the police Drill hall opposite the government complex. These officers beat any members who attempted to walk in with the 2 leaders but 3 members managed to accompany their leaders.

As the leaders were being led away, police officers started to drive the hundreds of members enraged at the arrest of their leaders away from the complex down the street in the direction of the Batch Street. After several surges to come back to the Complex failed and the group was chased by police officers with dogs. The dogs were held on the leashes but the officers kept threatening to unleash them, these officers and their police dogs drove the crowd at a run for 5 kilometers towards the Mpopoma fly over. Some members were driven into the bush on either side of the roads in the Thorngrove suburb adjoining the light industrial area. These officers also said they did not want members to board commuter omnibuses, but chased them out of town saying they would regroup and resume the march. Police officers quickly manned road blocks on the Khami road to prevent the return by commuter of the members they had chased with their dogs. The Reaction Group officer in charge based at Drill Hall Inspector Mzombi issued the orders for beating and arrests and generally disrupted the peaceful protest and curtailed the right to protest now protected under the new constitution.

Police officers who remained at Mhlahlandlela chased away any woman in the vicinity, members or non- members of the Mhlahlandlela complex was then chased away but men were allowed to continue with their business undisturbed by the gender discrimination.

Meanwhile WOZA leaders Williams and Mahlangu were held for 3 hours without any explanation at the Drill Hall until they were driven to the Bulawayo Central police station and united with 12 other members who had been arrested. They remained there for another hour before Chief Inspector Musvuti the officer commanding Bulawayo released them. He flippantly advised Williams and Mahlangu and the 12 members that there was no problem and that they were free to leave. He said he did not know why they had been arrested. He offered not explanation about the violence and brutal manner in which the right to protest had been curtailed. See the Woza Moya Newsletter distributed Woza Moya November 2013

Zimbabwe joins citizens of the world in commemorating Valentine’s Day, a day to give each other a red rose that represents LOVE. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members, the majority of them are women and some brave men are still drawing attention to the need for LOVE in Zimbabwe.
The love WOZA members wants is LOVE that brings dignity.
Dignity will help us rebuild our lives and our country.
Dignity also comes from Zimbabweans being able to exercise and enjoy all their rights including the right to earn a living.
This year our theme is – Demanding Dignity – Demanding Women’s Empowerment!
These are the roses we want from our Government!

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members have been conducting Valentine’s Day marches since 2003 demanding LOVE from their Government and asking Zimbabweans to chose LOVE over hate. After 13 years of Valentine’s Day marches, we still need and want the same things.

While we recognise progress it is only words and no deeds to match these high and mighty words.
1. The election promise was one million jobs but lip service was not followed up by the promised jobs. Members continued to try to survive by informal trading.
2. Members thought the ZimAsset would bring jobs, but the document once again lifted our expectations only to crash them down. The very people who wrote the document are ignoring it and enriching themselves.
3. The Constitution has a good complement of the issues we wanted, including the right to earn a living and the right to protest but we are tired of hearing that they are still aligning the laws. Stop making excuses and let us enjoy our Constitution.
4. Even the latest monetary policy is full of promises for empowerment, will these promises be delivered?

WOZA has been busy conducting civic education programmes for members to ready themselves for socio-economic empowerment – we are marching now to say we are ready to receive rapid empowerment.
We have read the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe ‘Chapter 2-National objectives’, sections 13 on National development , 14 on Empowerment and employment and section 15 on Food security and Chapter 4 section 51 – right to human dignity’. We understand that the word ‘Republic’ means –
A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.

We – the supreme citizens – elected representatives who immediately forgot about us. They squabble amongst themselves occasionally sending nonsensical directives like introducing prepaid water meters and removal of vendors from the streets. Chombo where is the directive to create jobs? Instead you order the City council to chase vendors off the streets. Mr Chombo enough is enough with your nonsense please reread the national objectives and put Zimbabweans – women – first.

Whilst members wait for the promised jobs, they survive on informal trade which is their source of livelihood and disregarding this survival strategy will increase poverty. Members stated that through vending they are able to feed their families, educate their children, clothe them and pay rent for a decent standard of living. The solutions are clear and known – but lack implementation – the root cause of prolific informal trading is lack of employment. Directives issued that only address the effects – informal traders everywhere – will not fix the problem.

As the supreme citizens, we demand our elected leaders convene an urgent country wide consultation to map a collective way forward on how to create one million jobs and revamp the economy putting women and youth at the centre of the economic empowerment action plan.

Having watched and waited to see if anyone would mobilise nonviolent action and having seen none to date, around 800 members of WOZA and MOZA began their rollout of peaceful actions in Bulawayo today.

The group started their protest at the provincial court on Herbert Chitepo and Leopold Takawira. They processed for several blocks through the city centre to the High Court. The targeting of the High Court was to lodge a people’s protest at the delay in announcing results. The group toyi toyied at the steps of the Court singing an iSindebele traditional (Sangoma) song – ‘Yindaba enjani ehlula amadoda’ (the vote is an issue men are failing to deal with). The leaders then took time to address the crowd, demanding that the results be announced, whereupon they placed their newsletters and placards on the steps before dispersing. This was all carried out much to the bemusement of police officers and court workers who man the entrance.

Police were seen to respond several minutes later, picking up all the flyers left outside the High Court – those that hadn’t been scooped up by eager bystanders. Leaders are still ascertaining whether all those that took part in the peaceful protest have made it home safely.

The aim of the march was to add WOZA’s voice to those calling on the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) to release the true results of the presidential election. The march was also to call for an end to state-sponsored violence that is reported to be happening in rural areas in retribution.

As they marched, the men and women handed out flyers (the text of which is included below) to the lunchtime crowd that rushed to see what was happening when they heard the singing. Such was the excitement caused by the procession that a group of 100 – 150 people followed the demonstration for the entire route, talking excitably amongst themselves, waiting to see what would happen. When the placards and flyers were left on the steps of the High Court, many people dashed forward to collect them, including several vehicles that stopped long enough for either passengers or the driver themselves to pick up the flyers. During the march, several cars were also observed to be hooting their horns and calling out support to the demonstrators.

WOZA was formed in 2003 amidst severe political violence to demonstrate love and courage to all Zimbabweans. At this time in our country, these motivations are particularly pertinent. WOZA would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women who in the face of great uncertainty and talk of repression defied the threats of a dying regime to speak out clearly and demand that their vote be respected. WOZA would also like to salute our brother and sisters in the police and army who demonstrated today that they are with the people.

WOZA has been encouraging Zimbabweans for the last few months to stand up for their children. People responded by going out to vote on 29 March. Now is the time to keep standing strong – a better future for our children is within our reach – we must just continue to demand it peacefully.

To read a copy of the newsletter, protesters were handing out, click here April 2008 Woza Moya newsletter – English/Ndebele

Sungano Yemadzimai (Sisterhood Bond)

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WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE ARISE – WOZA
P. O. Box FM 701, Famona, Bulawayo
By Women for Women and with Women, across Race, Colour, Creed, Class or Political Persuasion. Empowering Women to be Courageous, Caring, Committed and in Communication with their Communities.

WOZA SISTERS’
SUNGANO YEMADZIMAI

Zita rangu ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Ndirikuvimbisa kuti ndichabatsirana nemamwe madzimai. Tichabatana mawoko pakurwisa kuti ticherechedzeke pakudzosa Zimbabwe murunyararo, muutongo whakajeka, nebudiriro.

Apo kurwisa kuchienderera mberi ndichayeuka zvinotevera:

1. Kutaura nokukurudzira mamwe madzimai kuti aite saizvozvo kuti inzvi remadzimai rinzvike. Madzimai aafanirwi kushupika akanyarara.
2. Mukusanganira nevamwe tichi kurukura nezvinotishungurudza nokusimuka tichiita panekungo gununguna.
3. Kuva munyaradzi nomuteereri kusimbisana. “Kukurukura kunotapudza shungu nenhamo”.
4. Kuratidzira rudo no kusatya mudzimba medu nemu vavakidzani, ndichibatsira kubvisa kutya muvanhu.
5. Madzimai, mamai eZimbabwe yose. Saka, ngaa wane chiremera.
6. Kuva, mumiririri wezvinhu zvisina hukasha, kuratidza vanhu kuti tinogona kugadzirisa nyaya dzinotinetsa kusina vhingamupopoto.
7. Kuva ne chido chokubatana pakunzvirana nemadzimai anepfungwa dzakafanana.
8. Kukurudzira zviitiko zvinokururama muna mwari. Nokurarama pakumuziva.
9. Kumiririra kuva Democratic, nekuzvininipisa mune zvakawanda, zvinobva muvanhu.
10. “Kurwadzisiwa komumwe wedu, kurwadzisiwa kwedu tese”.

Ndinovimbisa!

Ndatsidzira : ………………………………………… Zuva: ………………………………………………

Mupupuriri : ………………………………………… Mupupuriri : ………………………………………

Copyright © 2004

APPROXIMATELY 400 members of WOZA held a peaceful demonstration in the streets of Harare today calling for the immediate intervention of the international community to address the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. The peaceful protesters marched to the offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to hand over a petition declaring the so-called government of ZANU PF incapable of dealing with the crisis and demanding that the United Nations step in immediately to resolve the crisis in order to protect the people of Zimbabwe. No arrests have been reported at the time of this release.

The protest also marks the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, which was released on 10 December 1948.

As they marched, the peaceful protesters sang a Shona song that decries the hunger facing all Zimbabweans and handed out fliers and copies of the Declaration on Human Rights, which bystanders rushed to receive. Some comments overheard from Zimbabweans reading the flyer were, ‘these women have a very good point. They are speaking the truth.’ Upon arriving at the UNDP offices, a representative attempted to enter the offices to hand over the petition, when the doors were closed. Two representatives from the UNDP came out to receive the petition however.

The group then dispersed before police arrived. A vehicle of riot police and a water cannon were seen to respond to the scene after all protesters had dispersed.

The protest started at the point where 14 members were arrested on 28 May 2008. They were denied bail and imprisoned for 6 weeks but on this occasion have walked home free.

Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise conducted their fifth annual assembly at a secret location in Matabeleland South between 27th and 29th August. Over 400 delegates converged from Bulawayo, Mutare and Harare with a large contingent from rural areas. WOZA has a membership base of over 70,000 members. Congress delegates were community-based leaders elected to represent their constituencies. They gather once a year to elect their leadership management body affectionately known as ‘Mother WOZA’.

The assembly is known as ‘Sheroes’ as it honours modern-day Sheroes. It is planned annually to celebrate the courage of ordinary people doing the extraordinary at the same time as the Government of Zimbabwe talks about their ‘heroes’.

Last year’s congress could not be conducted due to the prevailing security and health situation. This year’s theme was ‘real people with real needs – demanding bread and roses.’

The aim of the Assembly was to:
·    Review WOZA’s activities during the past year.
·    Discuss and review a proposed strategic plan for the upcoming year.
·    Elect national and regional and community leaders for the coming year.
·    Launch the WOZA-authored ‘A guide to understanding the Constitution’ booklet in three languages and to prepare members for the constitutional consultation beginning in September through to the February 2010 referendum.
·    Conduct an initial consultation on the constitution-making process and obtain minimum principles as regards content of the new constitution and a review of the process so far.

Preliminary nomination processes for all leadership positions were conducted in August. Elections were then conducted at congress for positions that were unopposed.

With regard to the government-led constitutional process, members at the congress resolved to continue to observe the process as it unfolds and to remain mobilised to protest attempts to fast-track the Kariba Draft or any other unconsulted draft.

The booklet ‘A guide to understanding the Constitution’ was distributed to members and stocks are already low. The booklet is to aid people to contribute in consultations as well as to help members decide on their minimum standards and principles for a constitution. WOZA prepared the booklet to empower people with issues to debate publicly prior to the public consultations and to empower them to speak out during the consultations.

Following the consultations it was clear that members felt that the current environment is not conducive to a genuinely consultative constitutional process. Some of the key ‘wants’ those present identified as being necessary before a genuine constitutional consultation can be held are:
·    Repealing of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and free media by removing restrictions on freedom of expression;
·     Healing by design and not by presidential decree – the beginning of a genuine truth recovery and national healing process
·    Security sector reform and the resigning of current politicised police bosses.

With regard to the content of a new constitution, the ‘non-negotiable’ factors include:
·    clear separation of powers and independence of the judiciary
·    a shorter term of office for the executive and a majority age of  65 years
·    dual citizenship and protection of the right to citizenship

Members would also like to see a constitution that guarantees rights to education, health, housing and shelter, right to language and culture and caters for equality with augmented access for disadvantaged groups. It was felt that the bill of rights should include protection of the following rights: socio-economic, prisoners’, women’s, sexual orientation, property and political choice.

As members reviewed the previous year, many testimonies about the political violence were shared as well as the testimonies of members imprisoned in 2008 in Chikurubi and Mlondolozi prisons for peaceful protest against political violence.

WOZA continue to have to operate in the underground as nothing has changed as regards the security situation in the country despite promises for peace in the global political agreement. Security concerns led to the delay in releasing this statement. WOZA, a social justice movement of human rights defenders refuse to legitimise the Public Order Security Act and so conduct their meeting in secret. In fact police presence at the congress venue resulted in an early closing of proceedings to avoid unnecessary arrests.

WOZA introduced a new structure style in 2007 and this system was reviewed at congress. It has brought increased expansion at multiple levels. As a result 37 leaders, three of whom are male, were elected to represent WOZA in organised operational areas. It is unfortunate that for security reasons names must be withheld until there is genuine change in Zimbabwe.

The new leaders of WOZA/MOZA are now ready to continue their mobilization of Zimbabweans to demand social justice and look forward to continuing their mandate of peaceful protest until there is a genuine transition that will bring about a ‘livable peace’ and dignity for Zimbabweans.