Bulawayo members release without appearing in Court

The 174 members arrested in Bulawayo on Tuesday were
finally released at 5 pm without appearing in court.
Police ran out of delaying tactics when lawyers made
ready a High Court application. The members were
arrested on 13 February as they conducted a peaceful
Valentines Day protest. As members were arrest in one
protest another sprung up elsewhere - police officers
confirmed arresting people at five different locations
in the city where protests had sprung up.

Late yesterday, it had been understood that only seven
would be charged under the Criminal Law (Codification
and Reform) Act and that the rest would be released,
Police made an about turn and only released mothers
with babies and minors, leaving 141 in custody for a
second night.

Today as lawyers attended prepared to go to Court, the
investigating officers indicated they had had 'orders'
to charge everyone and take them to court. This meant
preparing warned and cautioned statements from
everyone. This process of course meant the 48-hour
deadline, up at midday, was exceeded by several hours.

Finally at 5 pm today, the group was finally released
at 5pm - five hours after their 48-hour deadline had
passed. The Prosecutor advised Law and Order officers
to proceed by way of summons. Another factor is that
once again no police officer is willing to write the
necessary affidavit to allow evidence necessary to
charge the activist.

However whilst we recognize that it is positive step
for them to refuse to be used to convict innocent
people, we appeal to police officers to help ' name
and shame' the senior police officer who shouted at
Riot police not to dialogue with the activists at the
scene but gave the order for the peaceful women and
men to be beaten. We also deplore the manner in which
those arrested were beaten as they ascended the
staircase into the law and order department of
Bulawayo Central. Those who had sustained injuries due
to beatings on arrest and in custody have been taken
to receive medical treatment.

It appears that the group has been charged under
Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) as read with Section 2(v) of the schedule to
the Criminal Code - 'employs any means whatsoever
which are likely materially to interfere with the
ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the
public or any section of the public, or does any act
which is likely to create a nuisance or obstruction'.

This morning, the Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO) located Magodonga Mahlangu at Sauerstown Police
Station. Monitors were dispatched to ensure she was
not abducted and their presence ensured she was moved
with the rest of the group to Bulawayo Central. She
has been released and is also receiving medical
treatment for the beatings that she received upon
arrest.

The petty nastiness of the Zimbabwe Republic Police
was again evident today. Having informed those on
support yesterday that the breakfast feeding time had
been changed to 5am, volunteers were mobilised to
provide food at 5am but were kept waiting until 7am,
the normal feeding time. A woman at Queens Park was
consistently denied her ARV medication. Reports have
also come in that several members were forced to eat
the paper placards that they had been carrying during
the demonstration - some of these read, 'love can
bring a brighter day' and 'From WOZA with love'.
Despite the inability of some officers to choose love
over hate, WOZA would like to salute those officers
who did treat our members with respect and
professionalism and who recognized that WOZA is
fighting for a better future for ALL Zimbabweans.