News update from WOZA - Sunday 7th May

From: Woza Zimbabwe [mailto:wozazimbabwe@yahoo.com]
Sent: 07 May 2006 19:05
To: wozazimbabwe@yahoo.com
Subject: News update from WOZA - Sunday 7th May

UPDATE - 7th MAY
Sunday evening

Day Four and conditions for those in custody remain unpleasant. At
Hillside Police Station, the women, most of them elderly, are only
allowed out for ten minutes, three times a day to eat, during which time
they are kept under armed guard "in case they try to escape". The
painkillers that lawyers had to fight to gain them access to were only
given to them late last night. The women also continue to be on the
receiving end of intimidation. At Bulawayo Central, the women have been
denied access to blankets despite the cold weather and the fact that
there allegedly plenty of blankets in the cell administration office.
Due to the cold weather and being forced to sleep on concrete floors,
many women are becoming ill. This afternoon a Law and Order officer at
Bulawayo Central, Ngwenya, told those bringing food to the group that he
would not allow them to have dinner "because they are getting too much
food". Nonetheless, food has been received at all stations for all meals
today.

We have also learned that police were actively targeting children for
arrest after Thursday's peaceful demonstration. At Bulawayo's central
commuter omnibus rank, police were looking for children in school
uniform and removing them and their mothers from the commuters to arrest
them. Behaviour which clearly demonstrates the callous nature of this
regime and their blatant disregard for children's rights.

It has also emerged that a 16-year old boy has been amongst the group
detained since Thursday. Lawyers secured his release, and that of an 18
year-old girl, this afternoon. It is hoped that the rest of the group
will be brought to court early tomorrow morning.
______________________________

UPDATE - 6th MAY
Saturday afternoon

We can at last confirm the number of adults arrested was 112, eight of
them mothers with infants. Together with the 73 children, the total
arrested on Thursday was 185. The remaining mother and baby at Mzilikazi
Police Station were finally released today. The officer at Mzilikazi who
denied them their freedom last night has been identified as Assistant
Inspector Mugute. The other 104 women and men will remain in custody
until Monday when they will be brought to court. Police continued to use
delaying tactics this morning, ensuring that they could not be brought
to court today.

Whilst food has not been denied so far, painkillers
(paracetemol) were denied at Hillside Police Station until a lawyer and
the Officer-in-Charge from Bulawayo Central (a 15 minute drive away)
came and insisted they be allowed to be given to the women, some of them
elderly, who are in pain from having to lie on concrete floors for two
days.

Spirits remain strong amongst the different groups, despite the
discomfort and cold nights.

UPDATE - 5th MAY
Friday evening

105 WOZA women and men remain in custody for a second night. They are
being held at six police stations:
Bulawayo Central (46), Mzilikazi (24), Donnington (14), Hillside (10),
Queens Park (5) and Sauerstown (6).

Lawyers secured the release of seven mothers with infants earlier this
evening. Despite the order to release all the mothers, a drunken,
off-duty inspector at Mzilikazi Police Station refused to allow one of
the mothers being held there to be discharged. She remains in custody
tonight with her baby.

The group has been charged under Section 7c of the Miscellaneous
Offences Act; "conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace." The
Officer-in-Charge at Bulawayo Central, G. Ndlovu, (who threatened to
kill Jenni Williams in May last year when she was in
custody) remains uncooperative and efforts to have the group brought to
court today were frustrated by the refusal of those officers who
arrested the group to come forward and make statements about the
arrests.
Due to this reluctance, there is a possibility that the group may remain
in custody until Monday.

Conditions in the cells vary according to the station in which the group
find themselves but generally it is very cold at night with no blankets
provided as Bulawayo moves into winter. Officers at Bulawayo Central are
also proving to be obstinate about providing food - breakfast was denied
and lunch only given to the group several hours after it was brought.
They also lied to lawyers about the number of people being held there,
resulting in insufficient food being delivered to that station. Others
stations, including Hillside, Donnington and Queens Park, have also
denied or postponed the giving of food.

Please help us secure the release of the remaining 105. Below are the
telephone numbers of the stations involved. You are invited to encourage
the officers involved to respect the right of prisoners to food and
request that the women be released at the earliest opportunity. Special
mention should be made to Mzilikazi Police Station to discharge the
mother and her baby who are being held in direct contravention of an
order for her release.

Central: +263 9 72515
Donnington: +263 9 474005/467309
Mzilikazi: +263 9 202908/212515
Hillside: +263 9 241161/2
Queens Park: +263 9 226411/266412/226212
Sauerstown: +263 9 200960/218432/218431
______________________________

NEWS UPDATE - 4TH MAY
Thursday evening

The 73 children, ranging from age seven to eighteen that were arrested
this morning were finally released this evening into the care of their
lawyers. They are now all at home in the care of an adult family member.
The adults remain in custody, including approximately five mothers with
young babies. It is still not clear exactly how many are still in
custody as police are still processing them and due to the lack of
sufficient accommodation at Bulawayo Central, the remaining group have
been split between four police stations, including Hillside and
Mzilikazi. They have still not been charged. Lawyers were in attendance
this afternoon.

Further details will be given as soon as they become available.
______________________________

BREAKING NEWS...

Over 100 WOZA women and 73 children arrested in Bulawayo today

Hundreds of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members - men, women and
children - marched for eight blocks through central Bulawayo today to
the government offices at Mhlanhlandlela, calling for a reversal to
crippling school fee increases of up to 1000%. Having completed their
march, the peaceful group were beginning to disperse when riot police
arrived.
Initial reports suggest that approximately 200 people have been arrested
including 73 children. Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu are amongst
those arrested. Lawyers have been contacted and are en route to Bulawayo
Central Police Station.

There was an almost carnival atmosphere to the procession with the
singing marchers handing out the May edition of the newsletter, Woza
Moya, which were eagerly accepted by passersby. Many children were in
school uniform, signifying the fact that this may be the last time that
they will be able to wear it as they may not return to school next week.


More details will be released when they become available. Photos also
available on request.

For more information please contact Annie Sibanda on
+263 91 898 110/2.