WOZA sit down during their Valentine protest, Bulawayo

Members in Bulawayo took to the streets on Saturday 14th February, three days after the swearing in of the new government and one day after the swearing in of the new Cabinet. At least 800 members took part in the peaceful proceedings, urging Zimbabweans to let love light the way.

The peaceful Valentine’s protest had four different starting points. The plan was for all four groups to meet at a central point and process together to the office of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. All four demonstrations started on time, despite a heavy police presence in the city centre. One of the first groups was stopped after one block by riot police however. A leader was arrested and the rest of the group told to disperse, which they did peacefully.

The other three groups successfully met up with each other on the corner of 9th Avenue and Fort Street but were unable to process further as they were stopped by riot police. Hundreds of members were held under arrest at this point. They were then ordered by a senior police officer to march to City Hall. As the group was so large however, and the number of police escorts relatively few, many were able to slip away as they walked the several blocks to City Hall. At City Hall, those under arrest were asked to present their identification cards to police and were searched. Anyone found with WOZA materials (including red roses) were sent to Central Police Station. Those that did not have any WOZA items in their possession were released.

As people slipped away from police, they met up with those that had avoided arrest and continued with spontaneous marches through town or else congregated as delegations at the Chronicle. Several groups of WOZA members were seen entering the Chronicle offices to deliver Valentine’s cards, roses and flyers.

It also appears that police did not remain nonviolent. Witnesses reported seeing riot police randomly beating people, some several blocks away from the demonstration. Six young men, who just happened to be passing the offices of the Chronicle, were observed to be beaten by riot police. Chronicle staff members were also seen to be pointing out WOZA members who had delivered Valentine’s cards and roses to their offices to the police, leading to their arrest.

The demonstrations and the chaotic and violent dispersal were witnessed by three South African observers from civic society – Precious Myeza from South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), Sakina Mohamed from the South African Council of Churches and Bunie Matlanyane Sexwale from Khulumani Support Group as part of the Save Zimbabwe Now Coalition. All were present to provide solidarity with WOZA members as it was strongly suspected that police would react oppressively as there is little doubt in the minds of ordinary Zimbabweans that the unity government has not changed anything on the ground.

After all the confusion and chaos of the day, seven WOZA women and three male members of Radio Dialogue, a community-based radio station, who were observing the demonstration, were arrested and spent four nights in custody at Bulawayo Central Police Station. The group were denied access to their lawyer until Monday morning, two days after their arrest.

This was a clear violation of Zimbabwean laws which allow police 48-hours within which to charge people and bring them to court. Police argued that the 48 hour period of detention had not expired but according to the Criminal Evidence and Procedure Act, it starts from the moment of arrest (regardless of whether on a weekend or not) and can only be extended if the 48-hour period expires on a non-court day.

The group were kept in horrific conditions. The cells were filthy with overflowing toilets and on the first night, they were severely overcrowded. Food bins were not emptied regularly so maggots could be seen crawling in the bins. The women were also subjected to invasive strip searches every day. One woman on anti-retroviral treatment had to fight for access to her tablets every day by demanding to see the officer-in-charge as police tried to deny her access to her life-saving medication – on one occasion, she was actually denied her ARVs.

As well as being denied access to their lawyer and being kept in horrific conditions, the group was also subjected to intense pressure to pay admission of guilt fines. Due to this intense pressure and the deplorable conditions in the cells, six of the detained group succumbed and paid fines for obstructing traffic on Tuesday afternoon – the three Radio Dialogue staff, and three WOZA members, two mothers and one member who developed a bad rash.

Four women refused to bow to pressure and insisted on being taken to court. In a surprise twist, they were released from custody later that same evening and instructed to return to the police station the next morning. When they presented themselves the next morning, they were informed by the Investigating Officer, Constable Masawi, that the charges against them were being changed and so the paperwork would need to be prepared from the beginning. They spent the morning at the police station being processed for the fresh charges and were informed that they would be taken to court the next morning.

The new charges were under Section 46 2 (v) of the Third Schedule to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘employs any means whatsoever which are likely materially to interfere with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public or any section of the public, or does any act which is likely to create a nuisance or obstruction’. They had previously been charged under Section 37 (1b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘ … performs any action, utters any words or distributes or displays any writing, sign or other visible representation that is obscene, threatening, abusive or insulting, intending thereby to provoke a breach of the peace…’

The four women were finally taken to court on Thursday morning on the fresh charges of criminal nuisance. The prosecutor at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court refused to entertain the charges however. All four women were therefore unconditionally released after six days of harassment and intimidation by police, four of which were spent in horrific conditions in police cells. In consultation with the four women, WOZA is considering suing the Zimbabwe Republic Police for wrongful arrest and detention.

The names of those arrested were: Barbara Bepe, Patience Mpofu, Praise Mlangeni, Gladys Dube, Shingirai Mupani, Virginia Sithole, and Peace Mthethwa. The three men from Radio Dialogue were Thandazani Nkomo, Zenzele Ndebele and Oscar Hungwe.

The events in Harare and Bulawayo, together with the arrest of MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett on the day of the swearing in of Ministers and the continued incarceration of Jestina Mukoko and other abductees despite court orders instructing their release, are further evidence however that nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. More than ever Zimbabweans need to remain vigilant and participate in defending their rights and freedoms against a regime determined to cling to power despite the platitudes they mouth that they are prepared to share power.

WOZA activists are arrested by police, Bulawayo, 14 February 2009

EIGHT WOZA members and two lawyers appeared in Harare Magistrate’s Court today, 28th April. Although due to appear on trial, the State did not have its house in order for the trial to proceed so the magistrate removed the activists off remand. The State will have to proceed by way of summons if they still wish to do so. The group of 10 were arrested on 10th February after an early Valentine’s Day protest in Harare. They were facing charges under Section 37 1 a i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘disturbing the peace, security or order of the public’. They were represented by Andrew Makoni.

In another matter, five members arrested on 25 February outside the Ministry of Education, the Education ‘Five’, appeared in Harare Magistrate’s Court on 19th March and were remanded out of custody to Monday 4th May. Their lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, will apply for them to be removed off remand if the State is not ready to proceed to trial on this date. They face the same charges of disturbing the peace, security or order of the public.

In the third WOZA matter before the courts, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu will appear before Magistrate Charity Msipa in the Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 30th April.

The matter was last heard on 18th March when defence lawyer, Kossam Ncube, indicated that he would be taking a direct application to the Supreme Court. The magistrate had thrown out an earlier request to apply to the Supreme Court saying the application was frivolous and vexatious and that the trial should proceed immediately. (For a copy of the full ruling, see the Legal Documents folder to the right) Under a separate clause of the Constitution, Section 24 (1), applicants can apply directly to the Supreme Court if they feel that they are still aggrieved. This was subsequently done. (The text of the two applications can also be found in the Legal Documents folder to the right)

The Supreme Court has yet to allocate the urgent application to a judge as they are all said to be on leave.

It is difficult to predict what will occur Thursday as Magistrate Msipa has previously ignored appeals to higher courts and had disallowed the first Supreme Court application. Williams and Mahlangu face a possible five years in custody if convicted.

The four members arrested in Harare on 18th June appeared in Harare Magistrate’s Court again this morning. Magistrate Majonga had postponed the matter from Friday 3rd July in order for the state to explain why the four defendants had been assaulted in police custody and why they had been denied medical treatment. On arrival at court, the prosecutor, Public Mpofu, withdrew the charges of disturbing the peace, as the state could find no witnesses that had had their peace disturbed. By so doing, the state had hoped to avoid the matter of the assaults in custody.

Nonetheless, defence lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa insisted that the matter of the assaults be brought before the Magistrate, as had been her order on 3rd July. Whilst the magistrate indicated that it was highly unusual for her to be dealing with a matter when charges had been withdrawn, the defence reminded her that they were two different matters and that the four women were complainants in a case against the police for assault. The police were still not prepared to answer why the assaults had occurred or if the officers responsible were being investigated. Furthermore, the Officer in Charge of the Law and Order Unit at Harare Central claimed that he had not received a report of the assaults from the four women while they were under arrest.

Ms Mtetwa contested this claim by reminding him that she had personally shown him the women’s injuries and had requested medical treatment for the four women. When the two medical personnel that she had arranged to attend to the women arrived, he would not allow them to treat the women, despite their obvious injuries and severe pain, and ordered a female police officer to process the women to be taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital instead. It was after the four forms had been completed that the Officer Commanding refused to allow the women to be taken to hospital as punishment for ’embarrassing the state during Irene Khan’s (the Secretary-General of Amnesty International) visit.’ Ms Mtetwa offered to produce the two medical personnel and the four defendants as witnesses to corroborate this version of events.

The matter has been postponed until Tuesday 7th July for the magistrate to rule on whether the police need to answer on why the women were assaulted and why they were denied medical treatment.

In a separate matter, the state has indicated that it is ready to proceed with the trial against Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu tomorrow, 7th July, on charges of disturbing the peace despite the fact that the Supreme Court has yet to give its written judgement on the matter. When the two last appeared in Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court on 30th April, the state agreed to a long remand in order to give time for the Supreme Court to rule and indicated that if a decision had not been received by this time, Williams and Mahlangu would be removed off remand pending the decision. Nonetheless, prosecutor Chifamba told defence lawyer, Kossam Ncube today that he had been directed to proceed with the trial when the two appear on remand tomorrow.

The full panel of Supreme Court judges had met to consider the case on 4th June and had given a verbal ruling before they reserved judgement that the two women had been unlawfully arrested and that they should be looking to indict the arresting officers. The state had conceded in their response that the arrest on 16th October 2008 had indeed been unlawful. Judge Chidyausiku undertook to provide the written ruling before 7th July. Despite the fact that defence advocate Mpofu has formally written to the Supreme Court requesting the ruling, the written ruling has not yet been received.

Whilst 36 WOZA members remain in custody in Gweru after launching the People’s Charter in the Midlands town yesterday, WOZA members again took to the streets today – this time in Masvingo. The message was the same – the people of Zimbabwe demanding social justice through the People’s Charter.

In the face of heavy police presence, many of the women intending to march scattered, but a brave group of about 30 managed to march several blocks through the centre of the city to the Civic Centre, where all of them were arrested. There were no reports of beatings as yet and lawyers are in attendance.

In Gweru, the total number arrested yesterday was 36, including three women who were arrested when they brought food to those detained. All were expected in court this morning, but we are still waiting for a report on what the charges were and what the outcome was. It is believed they will be charged with participating in an illegal gathering.

More details will be given when they become available.

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 29 December 2010.

Defence lawyer, Tawanda Zhuwarara had applied for a refusal of further remand which was denied by the magistrate. Despite the docket still not being ready, the state argued that it was too expensive for the state to proceed by way of summons because there were too many accused. The magistrate did warn the state however that if their case was not ready on 29 December, the 83 activists would be removed off remand.

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’.

On International AIDS Day, WOZA calls on health authorities to provide adequate and affordable access to anti-retroviral medication for everyone who needs it. We also urge people to take responsibility for their own health.

At noon, five processions began with approximately 2 000 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise; all five protests were disturbed by riot police officers who indiscriminately beat the peaceful activists. The small group who had made it to the Lobengula Street office of Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) managed to deliver the yellow cards to the door but police quickly ran to beat them. WOZA leaders are still confirming that no arrests have been made and that the injured have all been assessed and attended. Six members have already attended the WOZA triage team to receive medication but the team are following up on an estimated 40 members who were witnessed being beaten.

One of the injured is Jenni Williams who managed to make it to the office entrance. In an obviously racial targeting, every time other members crossed the road to join Williams at the office steps, police officers ran to beat them trying to make sure they would not manage to congregate. At this time, members started to sing Mapurisa; Musandishungurudze (police officers do not harass us)

Seeing that police were intend preventing a gathering on the steps, a huge group of members managed to regroup a block away and made a fast seven city block dash for the fife street office of ZETDC. At this office, the peaceful protest occupied the front entrance causing the security guards, one armed to lock the door. The hundreds of frustrated activists spent 20 minutes toyi toying (danced) and sang – ZESA Into oyenzayo siyayizonda  – (ZESA we hate this thing you are doing). Members were dispersed with a speech by Magodonga Mahlangu who told people that police had beaten members at the main ZETDC office so we had to relocate to this office to call on ZETDC to provide prepaid meters and stop disconnecting people.

The police officers left behind at the Lobengula street office were shortly joined by a contingent of 30 riot police helmets and shields displayed only to find the protest had relocated down town.

The office staff, were heard to support the solution of prepaid meters, one officer asked why the Riot police had disturbed their visitors who had a genuine grievance.  Many bystanders joined the protest upon hearing that the issue was related to electricity. There was a general booing of the police for beating the women when they are also affected by the power cuts.

The load shedding schedule means that most people cannot get their rest as the electricity comes from 10pm to 3am. Most areas of Bulawayo have not had electricity from 5am this morning and many go for days without power or reduction of their bills.

This protest signals the beginning of a 6 week ‘Power to Poor People’ Campaign to discipline the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) for daylight robbery. Along with a protest launch, the campaign will feature the signing of a petition dubbed the ‘Anti Abuse of Power’ Petition; completing of a time sheet of power cuts and the delivering of a ‘yellow card’ to the company.   WOZA has campaigned for affordable and available electricity since 2006 with its ‘power to the people’ campaigns. It is also hoped that today’s protest will put pressure on the company to stop disconnections until they are able to deliver a better service to their customers.

Demands are:                                                                                                                                                    1. Stop cheating fixed meter consumers, we demand prepaid meters.
2. Please provide cheaper firewood, candles and matches, we do not want to destroy our environment by cutting down trees.
3. We are tired of 18 hour power cuts -provide proper timetables of load shedding.
4. Urgently put in place a proper and transparent billing system. Stop sending metered consumer’s estimates, send ACTUAL bills.

5. Create a smoother process of customer’s claims for compensation.

6. Review recruitment policy and bring salaries to decent levels with our current economic record. Professionalise staff performance and honesty. No more luxury cars we need transformers.
7. We will record the exact hours we receive electricity for the last 2 weeks of May while we get petition signatures which we will take to Parliament and demand they review your monopoly and poor service. You have cheated us for long enough, after we submit our demand to parliament we will organise a RED card Campaign. Be warned POWER TO THE POOR – ZERO service ZERO bill. HOKOYO!!

Last year, the response of the company was to have their security arrest WOZA leaders who spent 6 days in custody, 3 of those days the Independence Holiday.
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Ten members arrested in three batches from 28 February to 7 March who were tortured in custody had charges withdrawn before plea by the state at 8:30 am on 10 May when they appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court. Inside sources confirm that the state decided to respect a Supreme Court ruling obtained by Williams and Mahlangu for a 2008 arrest. The ruling granted that the two women had been wrongfully arrested and detained and, as a result, had their rights and fundamental freedoms violated. The full bench of the Supreme Court also found that the state had failed to protect the activists from this abuse.  The two had spent 3 weeks in Mlondolozi Prison after a peaceful protest. Yellow card link – http://wozazim.org

/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/yellow-card-zesa-2011.pdf Petition link – http://wozazim.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/may-2011-petition1.pdf Time sheet link – http://wozazim.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/power-cut-time-sheet1.pdf

ZIMBABWE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AUTHORITY (ZESA)
I am a power consumer and have been your customer for many years but your service has been getting worse in the last three years. I have run out of patience; your service is no longer empowering anyone but is draining many pockets. I want POWER and deserve to be given all the basic requirements a human being needs. I know ZESA is also a victim of a bad and mismanaged economy but think that ZESA should do more to deal with internal corruption.

You were singing ZESA has come with the power – ‘ZESA yawuya nePower’ – saka ZESA yazoyenda nePower yacho? ‘IZESA isibuye lamandla kagetsi’ – pho aseyengaphi lawo mandla? We demand POWER to the people for real!

My last account from ZESA was for $ ……………………..…. for 30 days of service.

I did not have any electricity for the following period of time ……………hours ………. days ………….. in the last month and want my account to be credited for this amount of time.

As your customer I have come to complain and request compensation. My demand is simple.
1. Stop turning a blind eye to corruption in your company and deal with the criminals within.
2. Credit my account for the hours or days you did not provide me with POWER.
3. Find us alternative sources of power – cheaper firewood, candles and matches, as we cannot afford to pay $10,000 for one candle and $1,000 for a box of matches. You are refusing to give us regular and efficient POWER so you should pay for us to have candlelight.
4. WE DEMAND POWER TO THE PEOPLE by March 2008.

Yours faithfully,

Impatient for POWER

ON THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ON PROTECTING WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
We write to you as a group of African human rights defenders from across the continent working at national, regional and international levels. We are following negotiations on the draft resolution on the protection of women human rights defenders currently being advanced in the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, with great interest. This is the first time a draft resolution has been put forward focusing exclusively on the protection of women human rights defenders. It is a hugely significant and important initiative for African societies.
Women who engage in the defence of all human rights and all those who defend the rights of women and work on issues related to gender equality make a vital contribution to democratic processes, securing and maintaining peace, and ensuring security, development and respect for human rights in our communities. However, in doing this work, women human rights defenders can face a range of violations and abuses – including gender-based violence – at the hands of State and non-State actors. States need to pay attention to the risks faced by women human rights defenders, acknowledge the value of their role, and commit to ensuring their protection. This is the time for all States to show leadership by supporting a resolution that seeks to do this globally.
We are extremely concerned to hear that the African Group has developed a group position objecting to several core elements of the draft resolution. Fifteen years ago, all States agreed to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, including State obligations to protect all human rights defenders working on all human rights. This commitment has been reiterated and built upon in subsequent General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions.
In addition, African human rights instruments include important references that relate to the protection of women defenders. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Article 18:3 speaks of States’ obligations to ensure the elimination of discrimination against women and also ensure the protection of women’s rights as stipulated in international declarations and conventions. Ten years ago, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa – the Maputo Protocol – was adopted. Acknowledged as a key text on the protection of women’s rights, the Protocol speaks of States parties commitment to increasing women’s participation ‘in structures and process for conflict, prevention, management and resolution’ and at all levels of decision-making. African States should be working to implement such commitments, and to ensuring it is reiterated and strengthened at international levels.
African UN Member States are putting forward important resolutions related to women’s rights, such as on ending female genital mutilations, addressing the situation of obstetric fistula and improving the situation of the girl child. At the Commission on the Status of Women in 2013, African States played a key role in securing agreed conclusions on ending violence against women, which also recognized the need to “support and protect those who are committed to eliminating violence against women, including women human rights defenders in this regard, who face particular risks of violence”. The GA resolution on women human rights defenders would complement and reinforce these important efforts by African Member States, as it would support and give recognition to the efforts by women human rights defenders in African countries seeking to implement these initiatives at national and local levels.
We call on every African State to live up to their human rights commitments by supporting this UN resolution, and by taking concrete steps to protect women defenders in their work. We call upon African States at the General Assembly to stand alongside all women human rights defenders in their work for the respect of human rights across the continent.

Draft res – protecting women human rights defenders

The 98 members arrested during a protest at Parliament in Harare yesterday have been released without charged after being held for seven hours.

At noon yesterday, a deputation drawn from the membership began a protest to press for an end to violence and for a response from the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Members also wanted to express their commitment to a repealing of Public Order Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

As the procession was to arrive at Parliament, the Riot Squad based at Africa Unity Square intercepted and began to beat the peaceful activists. They did not directly order the activists to disperse but beat anyone trying to sit down. The procession then turned around the way they had come and the determined activists began to chant the slogan – “strike a woman and you strike a rock” and sing, “the road is full of thorns and the time has come to pray.” It seems this was too much for the police officers who had kept up their insults and beating with baton sticks (although they used minimum force). When the procession crossed Sam Nujoma Street, the order to sit down was issued by police and WOZA members complied.

While the group sat down, members who had not been arrested handed themselves in. A member of MOZA did this in style. With his placard saying ‘VOTE no to POSA’ held high and singing away, he did a solo march across the street into the arrested group.

After 30 minutes, a vehicle came and 17 members were taken to Harare Central Police station. An hour and a half passed with no progress before the Riot Squad guarding the arrested ordered three lines and walked the 81 members to Central creating quite a spectacle and much amusement from bystanders. It seems there was no fuel for the vehicles.

After uniformed polices officers and Law and Order officers took down everyone’s details, it became apparent no department wanted responsibility for processing WOZA. Eventually Law and Order officers with the Chief Superintendent Madzingo, the overall boss of Law and Order, in attendance asked for all the issues WOZA are unhappy about and after a 30 minute spelling out issues from police harassment, to skyrocketing school fees, to electricity blackouts and complaints about POSA, the Chief Superintendent said he was tired and asked WOZA lawyer Muchadehama to assist WOZA to notify for future protests.

All 98 members were released at 7:30 pm having been arrested just after noon. This is the third protest in a row that WOZA have been arrested but released without being detained. On 15 October, Chief Inspector Tenderere, Officer Commanding at Harare Central lectured the activists and released them after nine hours in custody. These protests have seen WOZA directly confront police about their brutality.

Meanwhile, a WOZA member, Maria Moyo, has died. She had been arrested approximately eight times and was one of the seven members abducted from their homes by Law and Order officers in Bulawayo on 24th August. She was taken from her sick bed at 4:30 am and threatened with being tied up with ropes and thrown into Khami Dam if she did not divulge the whereabouts of WOZA leaders. She was badly shaken by this experience and took a turn for the worse. Despite receiving medical treatment, she never recovered. WOZA leaders pass on their condolences to the family of Maria and to all her comrades. We ask for intensification in amplifying the voice of ordinary Zimbabweans demanding social justice so that Maria’s life is not sacrificed in vain.

AFRICA DAY 25 MAY 2008

umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

YOU STILL NEED TO STAND STRONG FOR YOUR CHILD

As our whole continent marks Africa Day this week, WOZA members think that it has become meaningless. 25 May is supposed to be a celebration of the African spirit and unity. Yet what is there to celebrate when poverty is increasing and our life expectancy is decreasing? What is there to celebrate when Zimbabweans no longer have faith that their right to vote is respected? We do not see evidence that African leaders still value the principles of ubuntu/hunhu and count themselves as part of the African people. Do people like Robert Mugabe and Thabo Mbeki remember the saying ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu / a person is a person because of people’.

ROBERT MUGABE is a PERSON – the person behind the fist.
This is our Africa Day message to him: Robert Mugabe, you have become known to us for the violence you have unleashed against us – the people of Zimbabwe. Although we respect the role you played to bring about Zimbabwe, the violence you direct with your trademark fist is not a good legacy. People in Matabeleland and Midlands, supporters of ZAPU, were killed during Gukurahundi in the early 1980’s. Residents of Porta Farm also paid a high price for supporting Ndabaningi Sithole. In 2000, violent land invasions were unleashed to punish Zimbabweans because they refused your constitutional amendments. We are no longer the breadbasket of Africa as a result. In 2005, Operation Murambatsvina was designed to quell rising dissent and support for the Movement for Democratic Change after the 31 March 2005 election. Recently we saw Operation MaVhoterapapi (where have you voted) conducted to punish people who exercised their right to vote. We ask you to remember the biblical verse that for everything there is a season and respect the fact that Zimbabweans voted for change in March.=>

THABO MBEKI is also a PERSON.
This is our Africa Day message to him: When you held the hand of Robert Mugabe and said “what crisis”, people in Zimbabwe and in your own country were shocked at your lack of sensitivity. A lack of sensitivity that again showed itself by your delay in commenting at the loss of innocent lives in the xenophobic attacks in South Africa. As we bury our dead, killed in Zimbabwe by state agents, and those killed in South Africa, there is no denying that their blood is on your hands. We ask you to restore our belief in your African Renaissance and practice what you preach. You still have time to leave a positive legacy.

The day of the presidential run-off, 27 June, is just four weeks away but there is no change in the political impasse and violence is widespread throughout Zimbabwe. Recognising WOZA’s role as human rights defenders, we will work tirelessly to persuade Zimbabweans that they must prepare to turn out in high numbers to vote in the run-off. We will ask them to face the fact that Mugabe as the leader of a so-called ‘liberation war party’ has failed to deliver social justice. By refusing to release results timeously and unleashing violence on voters, Mugabe has betrayed the one man one vote ideal our heroes died for. We advise Zimbabweans that their vote must be a vote for Morgan Tsvangirai, giving him a chance as a transitional president.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE, THEREFORE DEMAND THE FOLLOWING:
1. That ZANU PF close all militia camps and end the violence against the people of Zimbabwe immediately.

2. That the Zimbabwe Republic Police arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of violence without fear or favour.

3. That political leaders at all levels remember that blood was spilt to deliver the ‘one man one vote’ ideal for Zimbabweans. We will continue to vote and defend our vote in a determined and peaceful way.

4. That the ‘real’ war veterans help us stop the violence and speak out against those perpetrating the violence in their name.

5. That the uniformed forces realise that there is no peace in the absence of justice. We ask them to respect that Zimbabweans have voted for change and refrain from being used to perpetrate violence and to carry out injustices. When change comes, and it will come, WOZA will demand an audit of all civil servants, including the uniformed forces. We, your neighbours in our communities, know you for the things that you do, both good and bad. We will remember. Hear us loud and clear – your leaders may get generous retirement packages but you will be left to face the justice of the law and the anger of the people. When you see us in the streets, we come in peace with love in our hearts and you have the choice to respond likewise and allow us to do our work as mothers of the nation. Good actions will also be remembered and rewarded.

6. That the Zimbabwean government make the necessary arrangements to comply with the SADC principles governing elections and to allow ZEC to do their job without interference.

7. We call on ZEC to be professional and non-partisan and to ensure that the results are released within 24 hours of the ballots closing.

8. We call on SADC, the African Union and the United Nations to assist us by sending observers to all areas of Zimbabwe to help us feel confident of exercising our right to vote. When they attend they should show leadership by publicly acknowledging the human rights violations being perpetrated.

9. We ask the South African government to make transparent the prosecution of those arrested for xenophobic attacks so that we can feel confident that there is still justice in the law in South Africa.

We would also like to thank civic society organisations both in the region and abroad for their continued solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe – shown in demonstrations in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Botswana in the last week. We would like to invite them to come to Zimbabwe to observe the run-off and ask that they keep us in their thoughts and prayers as we face the darkest hour before dawn.

Lastly WOZA would like to implore ALL Zimbabweans to remain calm but committed to making their vote count in these next few weeks.

Stand up for your child’s future by voting on 27 June 2008 for a new president who must deliver social justice.

IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE!