The peaceful protesters, who
were carrying balloons, were met by riot police after four blocks and
viciously beaten. Over 50 members received medical attention for injuries
caused by the assault. The aim of this march was to exhort Zimbabweans to stand up for their
children in these times of extreme hardship and to encourage people to vote
in the coming elections. As they marched, the demonstrators distributed
flyers urging people to inform themselves of the policies and track records
of the candidates running in their areas and to choose leaders who will
deliver a socially just future, regardless of their political affiliation.
The group also carried balloons that carried the message – Stand Up for Your
Child. As the procession neared the Chronicle offices, the dispersing point, a
police officer known to WOZA, approached Jenni Williams and asked her to
take the protest off the road, to which Williams indicated she would do so
at the next intersection, Jason Moyo Street. Before they could reach there,
a loud noise that could have been a shot or tear gas was heard, alarming the
peaceful activists. Riot police officers then violently set upon the
demonstrators, severely beating the two young activists holding the rear
banner. They then moved through the procession beating people as they fled. The women human rights defenders, feeling provoked by the violence they had
seen, regrouped and began a second protest before being violently dispersed
for the second time. Police then adopted the strategy of moving amongst
groups and saying out the ‘woza moya’
(come holy spirit) slogan and assaulting anyone who sang out the reply
‘woza’!A member from Pumula, Eva Tanyanyiwa, was beaten to the ground by two police
officers and lay prostrate before being dragged up and pulled towards the
police vehicle where she fainted. When Jenni Williams went to implore the
officer to leave the woman alone as she was seriously injured, they arrested
her as well.
Magodonga Mahlangu then joined the two in solidarity.
The trio were driven to Bulawayo Central Police Station being threatened by
police officers all the way. On arrival at the police station, the three
women had their details taken before being released after 30 minutes by a
police officer who said they should go and get Eva treated as she had
‘fallen in the road’. Eva has serious bruising on her upper arm and lower body. Another women had
to have stitches to her neck as she was pushed by a police officer into a
stationary vehicle whilst another was pushed into a pole by a police
officer, receiving a deep cut across her forehead. Other injuries included
a woman who developed a haematoma just above her kidneys as a result of
being beaten and many others with deep tissue bruising from being beaten
with baton sticks. This violent response by police negates recent information that WOZA had
received that police had been instructed not to arrest or beat WOZA members
until further notice; evidence of which has been borne out by the reduction
in arrests since October last year. The release of the WOZA leaders after a
brief period however does not bear out even more recent information received
that the uniformed forces and prison authorities had been briefed to arrest
and detain WOZA leaders and deny them bail until after the elections. They
had also been instructed to teach the WOZA leaders ‘a lesson they will not
forget’ whilst in detention. Undaunted by these threats, WOZA members decided to continue with their
peaceful protest, an act of courage that obviously put them in a dilemma,
especially as the news had already been covered by independent media. WOZA would like to pay tribute to its members that came out into the street
today to join events that have been taking place all over the world to mark
International Women’s Day, despite recent threats by the Commissioner of
Police, Augustine Chihuri, that police will meet demonstrations with the
utmost force, including live ammunition. Their determination to stand up for
the future of their children with dignity and courage is to be commended and
WOZA would like to urge all other Zimbabweans to stand up and be counted.
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