It was on the 23rd April 2007 when we gathered at Kuwadzana 2 ZESA offices to forward our grievances on continued power cuts. As residents of DZ and Kuwadzana together with our WOZA/MOZA Organisation we went there at around 10:45 with our banners up. We sat down while waiting to be addressed by the authorities at ZESA. Unexpectedly we found ourselves surrounded by about 8 policemen, 3 of them were holding guns. They ordered us to remain where we were standing. One of the policemen had fired a shot on the air, which sent people on pandemonium. They then ordered us to march towards Kuwadzana Police camp where they told us to sit on the ground for almost 2 hours. They refused to let us sit in the shade so we spent those hours parched and scotched by sun without anything to protect us from the sun.

At around 1pm they transported us to Harare Central Police station and we were taken to Law and Order. What I saw and experienced there was unbelievable, disgraceful and inhuman. A man called Chari is said to be the boss of Law and Order. When he arrived in the room where we were packed he started to shout, “What is WOZA, Who is the leader of WOZA” He ordered everyone to sleep on his/her stomach and he started to beat us on our buttocks indiscriminately and without mercy.

One of the detectives kicked me on my left eye. I was thrust on the wall with the back of my head. I became dizzy but the detectives were unmoved by all these cruelty which were inflicted on us. Some of the detectives were seeming to enjoy the scene. The man who was beating us was shouting some abusive words toward the elderly women who were with us. He then ordered everyone to sleep on his/her stomach and the besting started once again. It was a horrible and painful experience, which we went through. The beatings and torturing went on for almost 4 hours because it started at around 3 pm to 7pm.

After that they brought us to the room were they wrote everyones details. The process lasted until around 2 am in the morning. So we spent 2 days without having a proper sleep or rest. On the morrow that was Tuesday they brought us out of the detention cells where we had slept with no blankets and on a bare floor. There was a staunch smell of sewerage in the cells. They brought us again to the Law and Order office, Detective Chari came again and said everyone on his or her stomach and he started to beat us indiscriminately and thoroughly. After the beating they charged us under Public Order Security Act (POSA) – Disorderly conduct in a public place. After paying the fine, one Detective asked me a silly question which I did not answer according to what he was expecting. He ordered me to put my head on the floor while my legs were standing on the floor. He told me to put my hands on my buttocks. It went for almost 15 to 20 minutes. It was very painful. We spent 9 hours in Law and Order section where they intimidated us and they sternly warned us not tell us about our ordeal. They finally released us at 2pm Tuesday.