WOZA To Roll Out Countrywide Protests
WOZA DECLARE A VICTORY AFTER SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHING
THE PEOPLES’S CHARTER AT PARLIAMENT IN HARARE

MORE than 800 members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise and
Men Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA/MOZA) from all over
Zimbabwe marched yesterday to Parliament in Harare to
launch the Peoples’ Charter.
Two groups started at different locations in central
Harare, converging on Parliament at the same time.
Upon arriving at Parliament, the two groups were met
by riot police and arrested.

Police held the group of approximately 350 people, who
were sitting peacefully, for more than an hour in
front of the Parliament buildings before unexpectedly
releasing them. Several people, including
parliamentarians, came out
of the Parliament Buildings to observe the proceedings
and to read the WOZA placards and many took copies of
the Peoples’ Charter.

After the brutality with which police attacked WOZA
members in Bulawayo two weeks ago, members had braced
themselves for a similar
response. They were surprised however upon being told
that they could go back to their homes after being
warned that they were demonstrating illegally and that
they were not allowed to walk or even sit like they
were doing! What was even more surprising was that
Jenni Williams, WOZA’s National Coordinator, was
invited to address the group before they dispersed.

At one stage a senior police officer asked the group
who the leaders were and when he was told everyone is
a
leader, he then took five members from the main group,
including two men and an elderly woman on crutches,
loading them onto the back of a police vehicle and
taking down their names. A Human Rights lawyer who was
on site questioned this and some time later the five
were made to rejoin the rest of the group.

The response to the Peoples’ Charter from Zimbabweans
all over the world has been overwhelming and today was
no different. Pedestrians in downtown Harare rushed to
receive copies of the Charter from the marching groups
and in fact, the only WOZA items that remain in
custody tonight is the Peoples’ Charter and placards
including those calling for 2008 Parliamentary and
Presidential elections.

The reaction of the Zimbabwe Republic Police today was
a victory for WOZA’s non-violent strategy and for the
power of social justice. The WOZA leadership would
like to commend the Zimbabwe Republic Police for
showing that they are human beings also requiring
social justice in their lives. However WOZA would also
like to warn them that if they are turning over a new
leaf it should be apparent every day, not only today
but also in the future.

Having successfully launched the Charter in Harare and
Bulawayo, WOZA is now planning to roll out launch
demonstrations across the country.