BULAWAYO One thousand members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise marched here this week to the offices of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper to launch a democracy report entitled entitled 'Hearts starve as well as bodies - give us bread but give us roses too! Democratising Zimbabwe - an opportunity to shine!'The peaceful protestors handed out Valentine cards, red roses and abbreviated copies of WOZA’s report on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe to excited passers-by. No arrests were reported. Five protests started separately and converged on the offices of the Chronicle. The peaceful protestors sang as they marched, and people rushed out of shops and offices to join in the excitement and carnival atmosphere.
At the Chronicle offices, the group sat down outside the building whilst a journalist came out to interview WOZA leader, Jenni Williams, about the demonstration. It was explained to him that the demonstration was to launch the democracy report and to test media and civic freedoms under the GNU. Williams gave the journalist a copy of the report and a Valentine rose before the group dispersed without incident. No police officers were in sight at any stage of this process.
The report is a snapshot of community activists’ views on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU). It also urges Zimbabweans to participate in democratizing Zimbabwe.