Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has been awarded the 5th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International German Section. The award was presented at an award ceremony at the ‘Berliner Ensemble’, a well-known theatre in the centre of Berlin on Sunday 16th November. WOZA leaders, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, received the award on behalf of the organisation.

Williams and Mahlangu, who were released on bail from Mlondolozi Prison on Thursday 6 November, won an application from Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court to be allowed to travel to Germany to receive the award.

The pair had been released on bail with strict reporting conditions. They had to report to their nearest police station twice a week and were not permitted to travel outside of a 40 kilometre radius of Bulawayo Post Office without the written permission of a magistrate.

Williams and Mahlangu appeared in Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court on Monday 11th November for a routine remand hearing where they requested permission to travel to Germany. Magistrate Maphosa requested however that the application be made in open court on Tuesday 12th. After several delays, the state decided not to oppose the travel application and reporting conditions were temporarily suspended until November 26th to allow the activists to travel to Germany. Upon their return they will resume reporting and remain within a 40 kilometre radius of Bulawayo until their trial which is scheduled for 2nd December 2008.

The German section of Amnesty International assigns the Human Rights Award every two years to people that defend and fight for human rights, especially under harsh circumstances.The award statue was designed by the internationally known sculptor Tony Cragg.

In the past, the prize was given to Turkish advocate Eren Keskin (2001), a human rights defender from Russia, Swetlana Gannuschkina (2003) and Monira Rahman from Bangladesh (2006).