Two WOZA members, arrested on Wednesday, are spending a third night in custody. They are expected to appear in court tomorrow morning at 9am. It is believed that they are also being charged under Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) as read with Section 2(v) of the schedule to the Criminal Code – ‘interfering with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public or creating a nuisance or obstruction’, the same as the other activists.
They were allowed food at dinnertime with no interference and the members who took in the food report that they are in good spirits. WOZA activists will maintain a vigil outside Bulawayo Central Police Station through the night to ensure that they come to no harm however.
The five members who were released today at lunchtime received medical treatment for their injuries, mostly soft tissue bruising. One member related how she was beaten with baton sticks by several police officers, including across the breasts. She is in severe pain and doctors are worried that some of the lesions may form into abscesses. Another member, who was not arrested, needed to receive specialist treatment this afternoon and will need to have an operation tomorrow. She was kicked in the groin by booted police officers on Wednesday and is bleeding heavily.
With the release of the women, we have been able to learn much more about conditions in the cells. The women related how officers threw bucket loads of water into the cells every day, forcing them to spend the entire time on wet concrete. In the middle of a cold Bulawayo winter, the group of seven was also only given two blankets in total. As a result, many of the women are suffering from cold symptoms.
The group of seven was also kept in a cell by themselves, away from the other women prisoners. It is suspected that this was to prevent the WOZA activists from teaching their fellow detainees about their rights and recruiting them to join the nonviolent struggle for social justice in Zimbabwe! It is believed that Williams and Mahlangu are currently being held in a cell with other women however.
News update
Friday 8th June – 2.30pm
There is still extreme concern for the well being of Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu. They are still being detained without charge and police are planning to apply for a warrant of further detention. Lawyers are being told that they will be taken to court tomorrow.
However as Law and Order officers have directly threatened these two, telling them that they will be taken to Harare and detained and tortured, WOZA does not believe that their safety can be maintained during those 24 hours. We also believe that it is just a tactic to keep them in custody until Monday
The other five members were released at lunchtime. They were taken to court but did not appear before the magistrate. Police were instructed to proceed by way of summons.
News update
Friday 8th June – 10.30am
URGENT APPEAL – CONCERN FOR MAHLANGU AND WILLIAMS
Five of the seven WOZA members being held at Bulawayo Central Police Station have finally been charged. These members had been arrested at the demonstration and have been charged under Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) as read with Section 2(v) of the schedule to the Criminal Code – ‘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 are currently being taken to court.
Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, who handed themselves in to the police station in solidarity, have not yet been fingerprinted or had their statements taken. Police are refusing to allow the lawyers access to them. It is also not clear what these two will be charged with. There is concern that police may try to detain these two further or take this opportunity to carry out their death threats on the two WOZA activists. Lawyers are making an urgent high court application for their release.
Please keep calling Bulawayo Central Police Station on +263 9 72515 / 61706 to demand that Williams and Mahlangu be released immediately and not be harmed.