SIX women arrested appeared in Tredgold Magistrate Court on Monday 23 May and were granted bail on condition they lodged $100 bail each, report fortnightly on Fridays at Western Commonage Police Station. They appeared before Magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa, with public prosecutor Jeremiah Mutsindikwa. They were arrested on the night of Wednesday 18th May.

According to the State outline, the charge is malicious damage to property and three people are still at large.  The complainant is Bulawayo City Council represented by Lengama Douglas Ncube of the Engineering department.

The six were represented by human rights lawyer Kossam Ncube and Godfrey Nyoni. The lawyers notified the court that they will challenge the charge on the 6th of June which is the next time the six will appear in Court for a remand hearing. Lawyers also put into court record that the accused were denied food and that the police officers threatened them with death and disappearance and verbally abused them by referring to them as prostitutes. Under this duress, five of the accused admitted to the charge. This took place in the absence of their lawyers despite officers being well aware of the legal team. Over the weekend two homes were raided without any search warrant but not arrests were made.

The state case is based on ‘malicious damage to property’ but they will have to prove what repairs are needed and how they have calculated the damage at US$345.00 when the paint used is normal road paint which is used to draw traffic lines and fades over time.

150 WOZA members in Pumula, Bulawayo today marched to their local Electricity company office carrying a mock coffin to symbolise the burial of Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC). They began their march from a nearby shopping centre, intending to march past the police station to the ZETDC office but a vehicle drove out and dispersed them.

Police officers on bicycles then chased the activists but many managed to double back to the door of ZETDC to deliver the yellow cards and coffin. A drama ensured with residents shouting at police officers to stop chasing people as they do not have electricity themselves. All the police officers seem to come out to pick up and read the yellow cards, flyers and placards.

As the protest dispersed, six members, Simangaliso Msimanga, Grace Moyo, Pretty Chivunge, and Sikhangezile Sibanda and Memory Matandare with her 3month old baby and another have been arrested and handcuffed. Lawyers have been deployed.

View updates and statements on the People’s Charter

The Zimbabwe of Today
Zimbabweans are living in a state of fear and uncertainty. They suffer discrimination in all its forms and are unable to earn a living. Levels of poverty are high; unemployment is at 82% and inflation at four figures. Non-existent service delivery also makes life difficult. Access to education, housing and other basic needs is now only for the rich. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has created thousands of orphans and child-headed households, is a social catastrophe compounded by a failed healthcare system and little or no access to ARVs. Further loss of valuable human resources is happening due to people leaving the country in large numbers. People have been unsuccessful at holding their government accountable due to a raft of repressive laws and shrinking freedom of expression/media space. Corruption at all levels of government and the politicisation of all aspects of society has led to chaos and disorganization in every sector.

Our Mission
Women and men of WOZA will initiate a non-violent campaign. Our aim is to mobilise Zimbabweans to demand social justice from their leaders. The time has come to put the past behind us and start building a better tomorrow. We will hold existing leaders accountable and mobilise people to the movement to demand leaders who will deliver all aspects of social justice and a genuinely people-driven constitution.

WOZA Consulting on Social Justice
Since January 2006, WOZA has carried out consultations on social justice across the country. In 284 meetings, almost 10,000 rural and urban people told us what they want in a new Zimbabwe. We wrote down what they said and the result is the People’s Charter.

This is the Charter below. We want to know what you think about it. Please read it with your family, friends and community and let us know if you agree with what is written. If you do, please sign your support for the Charter and the possibilities it could bring.

This Charter was written by the people, for the people. And people must demand it.
United we can make it a reality.

Let us know what you think about the Charter by writing to us at WOZA/MOZA, P.O. Box FM 701, Famona, Bulawayo or emailing us at

Read the Charter in English, Ndebele or Shona.

Click here to endorse your support for the Charter and become a People’s Charter Champion.

MAGODONGA Mahlangu, a Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) leader was to appear in Tredgold Magistrates Court on 25 September 2013 to be formally charged under the Postal and Telecommunications Act Chapter 12:05, two counts under section 88 (c ) ‘making offensive phone calls without reasonable cause for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needle anxiety’. However despite appearing in court at 8:30am, no magistrate would accept the case, one after another recusing themselves for personal reasons. The drama in court had comical moments as law and Order police officers, Mahlangu, her lawyer Nontokozo Tachiona and over 20 WOZA activist attending the court in solidarity kept traipsing in an out of various courts hoping for a hearing. As the police officers insisted Mahlangu should appear in court, justice department personnel had no option but to issue a summons for her to appear in court on Monday 30 September 2013 for trial in the hopes that a magistrate would have been found to hear the matter.

Mahlangu previously appeared in court one on this matter on 7 August 2013 wherein the magistrate advised the police to proceed by way of summons once they had their case in order. The police officers, re charged Mahlangu on Monday advising her to come to court on 25 September 2013 to appear and be formally charged.

The complainant is Gladys Dube, a ward chair of the Movement for Democratic Change lead by Morgan Tsvangirai. She alleges that Mahlangu called her on two occasions and threatened her saying, “you are a big sell out from the ruling party, we are coming to get you with police, CID personnel, if Welshman loses you will see it.” On the second occasion, she alleges that Mahlangu said “you will see it I don’t want to talk to you again”. The state paper alleges that this caused the complainant annoyance and needles anxiety.

Mahlangu does not dispute that phone calls took place but disputes that threats were made. Mahlangu and Jenni Williams the national coordinator of WOZA, made several calls to both MDC parties to advise them of a flyer being circulated in Matshobana suburb of Bulawayo on Elections day 31 Julys 2013. This flyer, whose authorship is unclear, bears stolen WOZA logos and uses the name of WOZA to de-campaign Morgan Tsvangirai. WOZA leaders realising that the timing of this mysterious flyer on Election Day could disturb the peace and so decided to be proactive in disassociating WOZA with the contents. Despite calls being made to various political leaders, including MDC T Nelson Chamisa and to David Coltart and MDC Secretary General Pricilla Msirambwe -Mushonga, Gladys Dube decided to fabricate threats and made a report to the police resulting in the charges against Magodonga Mahlangu.

The first call on was in response to a report that Gladys Dube in the company of another women had gone door to door threatening members for the flyers distribution. Mahlangu called the other women who immediately apologised when told that WOZA had not authored the flyer. Ms Dube when called denied any knowledge of the flyer or the threats on members and so she was just asked to keep calm and ignore the flyer and the call was gut short. Surprisingly she called back two hours later in the company of WOZA members who she asked to vouch for her that she had not threatened anyone and once again she was asked to just ignore the flyer and keep calm.

At a meeting of WOZA Human rights monitors on 2nd August 2013, a member Christine Dube reported that Gladys had threatened her for reporting on her to the WOZA leadership, calling her a sell out. In the presence of 20 members, a further call was made to Gladys Dube asking her to please stop the threats. With the call on speaker phone, all 20 witnesses over heard her shouting insults and threats against Magodonga who could not get a word in edgeways. Stranger still is the fact that Ms Dube admitted making a vulgar insult to Magodonga in the presence of police officers in the senior area prosecutors office on 6th August 2013 but no charges were made against her.
flyer link http://wozazim.org/?p=1443

EIGHT hundred members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) began two separate peaceful protests at 2pm on Monday 2 December 2013. Their objective to march to parliament and hand over a petition. The petition being a research report produced under the 16 days of activism against gender based violence – Zimbabweans beat the drum of peace and development to break the silence on violence.

Both protests began without incident and converged on the Kwame Nkrumah entrance of parliament at 2:15pm. WOZA national coordinator began to negotiate for someone to officially receive the petition. A female officer was assisting and asked Williams to please request silence from the singing members. Members then observed non violent discipline and sat down on the hot tarmac with the blazing sun on their heads.

Seconds dragged to many minutes and it became apparent the clerk of parliament would not attend to receive the petition. Police officers, schooled in the culture of harassment continued to attempt to disperse the protesters and tried to scatter members by attempting to drive their truck into the crowd. Despite this obvious attempt to curb the right to protest, WOZA members remained resolute and started to sing a shone song saying – we also have rights!

After a 30 minutes wait, Williams was directed to the counsel to parliament, Ms Gladys Pise who received the petition and provided proof.

WOZA national coordinator, Jenni Williams then addressed members informing them that the petition had been delivered and asked members to go peacefully home and await a formal response from parliament. WOZA members then formally left parliament with the police officers still obviously restraining themselves in frustration at the new constitution clauses on respect for the right to petition.

WOZA express dismay that the police in Bulawayo seem to have not had the same training on the new ‘right to petition’ as the Harare police officers seem to have had. Once again the Bulawayo police officers have shown that there is selective harshness in responding to protests in Bulawayo. WOZA members are still shocked that Bulawayo police bosses ordered the deployment of police dogs to run the peacefully protesting members out of town. WOZA expects to take legal action against the police for wrongful arrest and for curtailing the right to protest and use of maximum force against members.

WOZA leader, Magodonga Mahlangu was arrested this morning at 8am in Bulawayo having come into town to do shopping. She has been held all day in the Law and Order section of Bulawayo Central Police Station and it is now clear that she will be held overnight. On arriving at Central, Mahlangu was served with a summons for a court appearance on 27th September. She was also told that the bosses of Law and Order wanted to question her. She has not been charged however and as she was being held in the same room as ZCTU members, it is suspected that her arrest and detention is linked to the planned ZCTU strike on 19th and 20th.

Human rights lawyers were in attendance through the day and reported that she is in good spirits. There is concern for her well being however given the various death threats made against her in the recent past and given the brutal beatings that ZCTU members received yesterday in Harare.

see also WOZA statement
State of the Nation March

Matabeleland Civil Society Organisations Press Statement
Following the unredeemable police brutal action against protests that took place between 1 – 25 July 2016 in Beitbridge, Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, The Matabeleland Civil Society Organisations (MCSOs) would like to urgently call on the Zimbabwean Government to immediately engage citizens and listen to their grievances as regards the state of the nation and its socio economic meltdown. Failure to do so may result in serious civil strife and unrest as has periodically been witnessed in the past few weeks.

It is noted with concern that, while citizens were acting well within their constitutional rights as enshrined in the Bill of Rights and other sections of the Constitution, police officers in the above mentioned areas took extreme measures to crush protests, thereby leading to violent clashes, beating of protesters, arrests and thereafter extremely inhumane treatment of detained demonstrators while in police custody. Of further concern isthe vicious retributive action taken by the police in following up after demonstrators, which led to the death of an infant and assaults on innocent civilians residing in and around Burombo flats in Bulawayo. Police heavy handedness during and after the protests is condemned in the strongest terms as many people were left suffering injuries caused by the use of force and tear gas.

As Matabeleland civil society organisations, we would like to unequivocally state the following:
1. We condemn the brutal beatings, torture, indiscriminate and careless use of tear gas and arbitrary arrests of minors and adults for exercising and enjoying their fundamental rights. We therefore appeal to all officers of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to honor and respect their Police charter and the Bill of Rights in the constitution of Zimbabwe to protect human life, human dignity and human rights and in particular children’s safety and peace of mind.
2. We call on the Government to;
-Genuinely and urgently engage citizens and listen to their grievances as regards the state of the nation, as Failure to address the socio economic meltdown may result in continued serious civil strife.
– Investigate and prosecute all human rights violations detailed in the attached report.
– Immediately repeal statutory instrument 64/2016 and review all laws that hinder citizen’s right to trade and earn a living.
– To respect, protect and fulfil fundamental rights as outlined in the Bill of Rights.
3. We call on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to take its mandate and investigate, document and make recommendation on the human rights violations in this report.
4. We call on citizens to peacefully continue to demand their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
5. We call on the regional and international community to ensure the plight of Zimbabwean citizens remain on the agenda
6. We call on the SADC, in particular the Heads of States summit to be held in Mbabane, Swaziland as from the 15th to the 17th of August 2016 to priorities the plight of Zimbabwean citizens and directly address the issues raised in this report.

Endorsed by the following Institutions:
1. Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association
2. Habakkuk Trust
3. National Youth Development Trust
4. Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe
5. Radio Dialogue
6. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
7. Zimbabwe Christian Alliance
8. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

It has been confirmed that the two WOZA activists arrested yesterday at a meeting in Mutare will be kept at Sakubva Police Station over the weekend.

Having been denied food all day by the Officer-in-Charge, Rigomega, the women were finally allowed food this evening. Conditions are apparently appalling with the women complaining of lice and mosquitoes in cold, damp cells.

It is hoped that the two women will be taken to court on Monday.

During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and whilst President Mugabe pretends to the world that all is well in Zimbabwe in Lisbon, WOZA salutes the courage of the two women activists who refused to bow to the pressure and threats of police officers and who are determined to defend their right to the freedoms of assembly and expression, whatever the cost.

Please continue to call Sakubva Police Station on +263 20 64212, 64717 or 63145 or the officer-in-charge directly on +263 20 60902 to protest the arrest and continued detention of the two women.

In a surprising development, the two WOZA members, Trust Moyo and Cynthia Ncube, who were arrested on Monday after a peaceful demonstration calling for an end to politically motivated violence, were taken to trial this afternoon at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court.

The two had presented themselves to Bulawayo Central Police Station this morning as demanded as part of their conditions of release. They were informed that they would still be charged under Section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘distributing materials likely to cause a breach of the peace’ and the police now had their documentation in order.

On going to court mid-morning, the lawyer was informed that the State wished to fast-track the case and that the trial would begin at 11.15 this morning. Neither the magistrate nor the court interpreter appeared however and the trial was postponed to 2.15pm. When attempts were made by the defence to postpone the hearing until tomorrow, the prosecutor, Andrew Marimo, replied that he was acting under strict instruction that the trial begins today.

The trial finally began in front of a packed court room (many of whom were WOZA members coming to give solidarity to their comrades) with Magistrate Rose Dube presiding. The charges stated that that the material that the two were carrying, namely a banner stating that ‘we want bread and roses’ and the Woza Moya newsletter, were obscene, abusive, threatening or insulting and intended a provoke a breach a peace. The line from the newsletter that the State had highlighted was “we immediately call on Robert Mugabe to hand over power to the winner of the presidential election, Morgan Tsvangirai”. The prosecutor attempted to argue that this line contravened laws that state that no one should announce the results of the election before the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Mr Kacaca Phulu from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights represented the two WOZA members. His defence was very simple; that none of the words or messages on any of the material carried was obscene, abusive, threatening or insulting. He went on to argue that contradictions in the Zimbabwean Electoral Act mean that people could interpret the clause in a Schedule of the Act as being correct. Therefore calling on Robert Mugabe to hand over power was not insulting the President but merely citizens exercising their right to an opinion.

The prosecutor tried to rebut by asking the court to consider the State’s feelings but was interrupted by Magistrate Dube who argued that this was not possible otherwise every Zimbabwean would be going through the courts for saying what they think.

After arguments were heard, Magistrate Dube announced that she would deliver her ruling on Monday 12th May and remanded Moyo and Ncube on $1 billion bail each (approximately US$5 at current exchange rates).

To read a copy of the ‘obscene, insulting, abusive and threatening’ newsletter, click here. Woza Moya English May 2008

In Harare meanwhile, WOZA leaders were attending the funeral of a long-standing WOZA member, Josephine John. Josephine passed away on Sunday 4th after a long illness. She will be remembered for her commitment to making a better future for herself and her children. Woza Moya!

Hundreds of members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MOZA) took to the streets of Bulawayo this morning, marching for several blocks to Mhlahlandlela Government Complex to declare a national disaster and demand immediate food aid for all Zimbabweans. Nine members have been arrested at the time of this release.

On arrival at the Government Complex, the group of approximately 200 sat down outside the gates whilst a delegation of four elderly women went in to request that the Regional Department Heads of all the service departments come out and address the crowd on what is being done to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing the country.

The group sat peacefully waiting to be addressed for 45 minutes before five riot police approached the group. Two leaders, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, were arrested and taken to Drill Hall, which is across the road from Mhlahlandlela. The rest of the group were forcibly dispersed by being beaten with baton sticks. At least one member is receiving medical attention for the beating she received. Williams and Mahlangu were later taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station, where they are currently being held.

It appears that a group of seven women were arrested before the demonstration began as they were sitting waiting for the signal to start. They were apparently sitting near some black market foreign exchange dealers and were arrested along with them. They have also been taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station. Lawyers are still trying to verify reports that the group had been beaten inside Bulawayo Central.

The peaceful protestors had begun their march near the High Court and processed several blocks to Mhlahlandlela, singing and handing out the October 2008 Woza Moya newsletter to passers-by who rushed out into the street to receive them. A copy of the October 2008 newsletter with the group’s demands can be found below.

The demonstrators also paused at two intersections to sit down whilst chanting in Ndebele – ‘ayihlale phansi ihambe umthetho’ (sit down and maintain discipline). As during their last demonstration two weeks ago, this was sang both as a way to ensure that the activists maintained non-violent discipline and also as a message to politicians to sit down and respect the deal. Other songs sang include a WOZA favourite – ‘this is an issue that men are failing to solve’.

The protest was further to a previous peaceful protest on 29 September where the theme was ‘actions speak louder than words’. The political impasse continues a month after the power-sharing agreement was signed and the crisis facing people in their daily lives deteriorates dramatically every day. The power-sharing deal mentions grave concern for the humanitarian crisis facing people and yet still nothing has been done. People and children are dying of starvation whilst the politicians continue to talk.

WOZA therefore continues to demand immediate action regarding the formation of a new government that will begin to work on solving urgent social issues, like food, electricity and water. Recognising that the situation in the country is now a national disaster we also demand that ALL Zimbabweans receive access to food aid and also seed and agricultural inputs.

In other news, both groups of members facing trial this week have been removed off remand. On Tuesday 14th, the decision on the application for review of the case of Cynthia Ncube and Trust Moyo was not ready. Whilst the decision from the High Court is pending, they were removed off remand.

The ‘Chikurubi 14’ due to face trial in Harare Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 15th, were also removed off remand. The docket was not available and although the State tried to insist that they were ready for trial and were trying to get the group further remanded for trial, the Magistrate upheld the resolution that she had made on 26th August that if the trial did not take off on the 15th October, the group would be removed off remand.

We also ask that you call Bulawayo Central Police Station on +263 9 72515, 61706 or 63061 and ask for the immediate release of all WOZA members including Williams and Mahlangu and that they not be mistreated in custody.

WOZA members outside The Chronicle, 10 Dec 08

OVER 1,000 members of WOZA marched through the streets of central Bulawayo today to the offices of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. The peaceful group distributed flyers calling on the so-called government to stand aside to allow the United Nations to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Other flyers distributed by the group demanded the immediate release of Jestina Mukoko, Violet Mupfuranhehwe and her two-year old baby and the other pro-democracy activists abducted in the last few weeks. They also sang custom-composed songs to portray their message. No arrests have been reported at the time of this release.

The peaceful protest also commemorated Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights under the theme – Human Rights of Women – Human Rights for All. Zimbabweans – stand up for the TRUTH and it will set you free of this regime.

Eight riot police, accompanied by a senior ranking officer, arrived at the Chronicle offices after the protest dispersed. They were overheard asking each other who to arrest. The officer was observed radioing for instructions, whilst the others arrested the placards and newsletters and started to follow the trail of the protest. At this time, an audit is being conducted to check if any arrests have been made.

Both protests yesterday in Harare and today in Bulawayo were lead by different levels of leadership to send a clear message to the regime that even if they arrest WOZA leaders, there are others to step forward and lead. Strict non-violent discipline was observed by all participants.

Comments overheard from bystanders in the bank queues included one woman saying to another, “this is WOZA – and they are singing the truth – children are crying.” To which the other woman replied, “why don’t you join them?” The answer: “I am a coward”.

On this Human Rights Day, WOZA would like to pay tribute to all human rights defenders in the country, commend them for their courage and urge them to remain resolute in the fight for a better Zimbabwe.