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Dooms’
Day! (Patricia is a mother of six and is chairperson of Vulindlela Guardians and Orphan Care -- a Mpopoma based community organisation.) In the following testimony sent by her to the FreeAfrica website, she tells of her experience: On 13 August 2003, forty-eight of us gathered at Tredgold Provincial Court in Bulawayo. We had been arrested on 24th July 2003 whilst participating in a protest calling for the repealing of the Public Order Security Act (POSA). We appeared in Remand court and will appear again on the 5th November 2003. We were remanded out of custody on free bail. Despite our respect for the rule of law and the judiciary process –– if only we were in a free, fair and just society –– we vow to continue calling and if need be, campaigning and peacefully protesting for the repealing of unjust laws in our communities where we suffer most. We do not want POSA as it is used to abuse and stop us from meeting in groups (without police approval) to discuss problems and to propose solutions to our everyday sufferings and abuses –– since the beginning of the year 2003, over 200 women have been arrested and charged under the draconian laws of POSA. On the 13th of August when we met in Court, many of the women were still traumatized and in bad health. Only their commitment and dedicated spirits had survived them thus far. On this fateful day of the 13th of August –– as if our torment had not been enough –– we were told the news that Precious (one of our colleagues) had just experience a miscarriage of her first child. We knew then that the over-crowding in the police cells coupled with the physical torture and abuses and also the lack of proper toilet facilities had contributed towards her miscarriage. Our condolences to Precious and her family on the loss of their unborn (State-stolen) baby. We will continue to pray for them all and for the speedy recovery of Precious. Hereon, I would like to share our experiences of the 24th July 2003. On that day small groups of women could be seen scattered around the Lobengula Shopping Mall. By the grace of God, it was a warm and sonny day during a cold winter season. We were gathered together in the early hours of the morning as concerned citizens. Our group represented people of all walks of life, different religions, political parties and on-the-spot recruits who joined us of their own accord and will. At 10 o’clock we all walked to Tredgold Court, to deliver an appeal calling for the repealing of the Public Order Security Act (POSA). Jenni Williams led the women, singing the African National Anthem “Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica” and for sure the Lord blessed us. We felt anointed with the Holy Spirit and had extra strength and courage to go on with our mission. The sun appeared still, birds seemed silent and motorists together with pedestrian passersby watched. Even Policemen just stood and watched. Some people joined us in song. After the appeal had been delivered to the Provincial Magistrate, we marched up past Tredgold turning left into Herbet Chitepo Street. At this time we were singing “Seliwile iBabylon” (Babylon has fallen). As we reached 9th Avenue, we started singing “Kunini Sahlupheka Kuletilizwe” (We have suffered too long in our country). Thanks to the Lord, we sang loudly, making sure our message was being heard. We also waved our placards, which read “NO TO POSA!” As we approached the bus terminus where we were going to disperse, we saw the boys in Navy Blue (commonly known and recognized through their uniforms as the Riot Police). They were headed straight for us. We continued to sing peacefully and still filled with courage and commitment. As soon as the Riot Police arrived at our location, they jumped off their vehicles shouting and instructing everyone to disperse; the youth that were with us dropped their placards and ran away in fear of the assailants of ‘law’. Amongst us were mothers who fled the scene with babies on their backs. There were several elderly women too, some of whom were so old and are to date not even able to remember their actual birth dates. Despite our collective agreement as women in the group, that in the event of such an incident we should not run away but we should remain at the scene sitted peacefully so that we could monitor and notice if anyone of us was beaten or arrested and taken away by the ‘police’, I realized that most women were actually not ready to stick to the agreement (understandably due to the fear of the results of being caught and taken in by these well known brutal assailants). As I was watching the gruesome events unfold before my eyes, one Riot Policemen spotted me and came straight to me while threatening to severely beat me. As he approached me he shouted, “Mama Sizaku Karaba!” (a vernacular local slang term that implies a threat that someone will beat you up). I then saw Jenni Williams walking with plain clothed policemen (usually the Criminal Investigation Department unit {CID} or the Central Intelligence Organisation {CIO}) and the uniformed riot policemen. When I asked her what was going on, she told me that they wanted to arrest her and the indication from them was that their aim was to arrest only her since they believed that she was the main leader of the group. I told her that they would have to take me too. Contrary to some of the women who had already fled the scene, some of the women committed their bravery that day; I saw more and more women join us in our quest to suffer together in our struggle for freedom and security. Some even walked the eight blocks to Central Police Station to be arrested with us, until we numbered forty-eight. While we were being arrested, policemen insulted
us labeling us “witches”. We endured the night hungry
and also spent most of the next day without food. We felt that the
Lord had forsaken us, until we started to pray and sing. Morning came and we were told we would go to court. They called Jenni Williams, telling us that she was supposed to help them find petrol to take us to court (what a state, where the police arrest a ‘suspect’ and then order the same ‘suspect’ to help them find petrol) as they had nothing in their vehicles. For most of us, relatives and friends were there
at the court hearings in support of us, but most of us were so sleepy
and hungry during the process of our own hearings that we did not
even realize what was happening until the magistrate ruled that
we had to report back in court on the 13th
August 2003. Let us win the battle by being unified the way women were on the 24th July and lastly, if God is with us, We will prevail? Women of Zimbabwe Arise and Shine! “wozani silwel’lnkululeko” We ask all our fellow countrymen and women and also those of other nations who have heard our cries as related above, to pray for us and to march with us in the struggle for our Rights and Freedom. On the 5th November 2003 the WOZA women mentioned below have been ordered to appear before the courts again at the Tredgold Provincial Court in Bulawayo. We need all the support we can get, through donations or other. Anyone willing to join or support our campaign can e-mail us at the following address:
Message from the FreeAfrica Crew: The FreeAfrica team praises the work and responsibilities assumed by the brave Women of Zimbabwe through WOZA. Our condolences go to those of our good mothers, sisters, friends and others who while in the process of expressing their freedom to want a free and fair lifestyle for all, they are targeted and grossly brutalized by the Zanu PF State agents. There is a saying in our language that goes, “Wathinta’bafazi Wathinta’bangathintwayo!” “Wathinta’abafazi Wathinti’mbhokodo!” Translated to English it means; “you provoke women, you provoke the invincible!” “you provoke women, you provoke a mighty stone!” The destination to success is nearing quick and the war criminals are aware of their inevitable destiny of accountability. BoMama! We are your children, brothers and friends and you are doing just what is right by protecting your families as mothers have always been known to do. We Salute You! Let’s stick together in the fight for
a true democracy in Zimbabwe, and Africa as a whole.
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