Celebrating 5 years of tough love

ine’s Day campaign and the ‘The People’s Charter – giving you a better life, a better Zimbabwe’.
I kept in solitary confinement at Bulawayo Central Police Station for two days on orders of the Officer in Charge CID Law and Order, known to me as G. Ndlovu.
When the police arrested us, they assaulted us severely. They lined up along the staircase leading to the second floor and as we passed by we were beaten by Riot police with baton sticks. Some were then made to force banners and placards into their mouths while being slapped across the face. We were then taken to Bulawayo Central and kept in the corridors and offices on the first and second floors. We were not told of any charges against us. In the corridors where I was, there were 83 people, all sitting squashed together outside Ndlovu’s office.
We were denied access to our lawyers. At one time our lawyers, Advocate P. Dube, Mr. S Chivaura, Mr M Nzarayapenga and another lawyer were standing in conference with Ndlovu. He told them to go away, and threatened to call the Support Unit or PRG to evict them if they did not leave.
I was told that I, together with Jenni Williams, a founder member of WOZA would be abducted and taken to an unknown place and killed by the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation). I was then put in a vehicle and driven from one police station to another, praying for my life but sure that my sisters would find me. When I came out of custody I heard that WOZA members had been tipped off about the abduction plan and had been monitoring the police station where I was being held to make sure that I came to no harm.
The next day, unidentified people, in the company of officers from Law and Order, took video footage and photographs of me while I was sitting in the veranda near the cells at Sauerstown Police Station. I was not told what this video footage was for. I was just treated like an animal, and the photographers were on a photographic safari. I believe this footage was later aired on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
On February 15 I overheard a telephone conversation in which one officer said: ‘I am a professional – I don’t care if you are the PG or CIO, I can only hand her over to Law and Order.’ I was terrified, and expected that I would be abducted and killed, as earlier threatened
I was moved back to Bulawayo Central later that day and eventually charged after 36 hours, together with 140 of my colleagues, for contravening the provisions of Section 46 as read with Section V of the schedule to the Criminal Code.
Meanwhile, police were looking for Jenni, who had participated in the protest in Harare but not been arrested. On February 14, four unidentified men barged into her house pretending to be Messengers of Court serving summons for non-payment of water and rates. They intimidated and harassed her domestic worker and brother, demanding that they call ‘Jenni’ and ended up taking her fridge, stove and TV. The ‘summons’ was a fake document.
All her household bills are in her husband’s name, so it is strange that they were calling her by name and the summons was also in her name. It was later proven that the document was fake, and a police report was made. We are all convinced that these were ‘state agents’ acting with impunity and praise the Lord that they did not harm anyone at her house. Property can be replaced but lives cannot be.
As I come out of custody along with my comrades, we thank the Lord for bringing us home safe. I thank my colleagues who watched over us all, including police officers whom I count as partners in the struggle.
What a fifth birthday for WOZA; commemorating five years of non-violent struggle on the streets and in jail cells – fighting for a better life in a better Zimbabwe!