Harare - Civil rights activist Jenni Williams, The demos were thwarted by the police on Monday. The case, involving women as old as 73, is due before the court on October 6.
Williams’ dramatic arrest by uniformed officers outside the Harare Magistrates Court was witnessed by scores of her supporters who were resting under trees following their two-day ordeal in what most described as filthy cells.
“Williams has been arrested but I am yet to establish the charges,” her lawyer, Charles Kwaramba of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights told The ZImbabwean exclusively.
WOZA members condemned the arrest.
Lizzy Saungweme, an activist who was arrested Monday said Williams’ arrest was further shocking evidence of police heavy-handedness, which they sought to highlight during their Monday nationwide demo against the police.
“The conditions in prison were horrible,” Saungweme told The Zimbabwean. “People were stepping on human waste all over the prison cell. We could not sleep because we had no blankets and there were so many mosquitoes. We sang hymns throughout the night and only slept during the day. But we will not stop because we are fighting for our rights.”
Added Saungweme: “We are very upset because the authorities don’t listen to us. This is very bad. Jenni is fighting for our rights and she deserves her freedom.”
Post published in: Politics