Scores of protesters from pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were arrested in Harare on Thursday, after a peaceful demonstration against high electricity tariffs was disrupted by police.
A group of about 500 people, including some Harare residents, had marched to the Harare headquarters of Zimbabwes Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) in the capital on Thursday afternoon. The group protested outside ZESAs offices for about half an hour before the demonstration was broken up by fully armed riot police, who were apparently called in by ZESA authorities. The police officers insisted that WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu be arrested. But in an amazing display of solidarity, many other WOZA members handed themselves in to be arrested too, and climbed into police vans.
More members then marched to Harare Central Police station where the arrested group was transported to, and tried to hand themselves over for voluntary arrest. SW Radio Africas Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said that police turned them away, because there wasnt enough room to arrest anyone else. In total, 65 people were held in custody without charge until the evening, when 61 were eventually released. The four remaining members, including WOZA leaders Williams and Mahlangu, as well as Clara Manjengwa and Celina Madukani, were set to spend the night in cells after being charged with participating in an illegal gathering.
The group was protesting poor service and unrealistically high tariffs by ZESA, and had attempted to hand over yellow cards as a warning of a future boycott. A similar protest in Bulawayo on Monday was peacefully allowed to continue, despite a heavy police presence, with some police officers commending WOZAs efforts. On Tuesday, two WOZA members were arrested in Bulawayo and briefly detained while attending a public meeting on ZESAs service failures. They were released after fellow police officers lambasted their colleagues for the arrest, saying power cuts affect us too.
Ironically in Harare, the prison where the arrested WOZA members were being held was without power on Thursday as a result of yet another blackout. WOZAs football inspired yellow card serves as a months notice to ZESA to shape up or face suspension. WOZA has also threatened to mobilise for a ZERO service ZERO bill boycott.
Post published in: Politics