WOZA sues Home Affairs Ministry over filthy police cells

Jenni Williams, Magodonga Mahlangu, Clara Manjengwa, Sellina Madukani and 67 other activists from WOZA are suing co-Home Affairs Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone, over their detention in cells that had toilets overflowing with human waste and no running water.

Following a demonstration against poor service by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority up to 71 WOZA activists were rounded up and taken to Harare Central Police station. The activists were forced to remove their shoes and all under-garments, including brassieres and under-pants, until they each had a single top and bottom, read the letter of intention to sue from WOZA.

The activists were not told why they had to remove their shoes and under-clothes before they were marched to the cells. Their letter went on to say; When they got to the cells, their senses were assaulted by the choking smell of human excreta, and flowing urine of varying colours. Even the beds were covered with human excreta, so they sat and spent the night huddled in the corridors of the cells, as they could not sit inside the cells due to the faeces.

The activists were also not allowed to use their own toilet paper, with police ordering them to use their bare hands. This was extremely humiliating, more so because Magodonga Mahlangu had a running stomach and had to use the toilet frequently. There was neither a hand basin nor soap in the cell so they could not wash their hands after using the toilet, WOZA said in the letter.

In July this year SW Radio Africa raised the issue of the filthy holding cells with co-Home Affairs Minister Makone who said; I dont want to say that the conditions are horrible because there is no effort by anybody to make the conditions horrible. It is because the situation in the country is that we are really stuck up for cash and that is the truth of the matter, she told us.

I can talk with authority because I am coming from Public Works (Ministry), that was my responsibility actually in my previous assignment, to make sure that government buildings are up to scratch, but I can tell you that where I needed a budget of US$ 90 million to maintain government buildings throughout the country, I was lucky if I got more than US$ 2 million in a year. So really, its as bad as all that.

Challenged on why government used reportedly scarce funds to buy luxury cars for MPs and others Makone said; That is the nature of the beast. The truth of the matter is that there is no money. You only have to look at the economy and say to yourself from which part of the economy could the money be coming from? There is no viable agriculture, there is no viable industry, there is no viable anything. We are practically a nation of traders who buy and sell, so where is the money?

WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams disputed Makones explanation of a lack of resources saying all you need is water and a mop. She said in the past cleaners would be assigned to work in the cells but this was no longer the case.

Meanwhile nearly 3 months after our interview with Makone the country has seen two controversial auctions of diamonds from the hotly disputed Chiadzwa claim. Despite raking in millions of dollars the use of that money remains mired in mystery.