Women face violence on our streets

The violent end to a peaceful demonstration by Zimbabwe's women

Harare, Zimbabwe, May 6

Yesterday I stood in the streets of Bulawayo and watched Mugabe's riot police launch a savage attack on a peaceful demonstration by the women's civic organisation, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).

Some hundreds of WOZA members had gathered to march in protest at the politically motivated violence which has left more than 20 supporters of the opposition MDC dead and hundreds injured and homeless. Their intention was to march to the High Court with a demand that the election by a clear majority of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as President be declared official.

Before the march could begin a police riot squad arrived on the scene and began attacking the demonstrators, mostly women and children, with batons. Several arrests were made, and many injuries suffered. But worse was to come.

I followed the survivors of the attack to St. Mary's Cathedral, where they regrouped, and finally began the march. They marched in silence for four blocks, but were intercepted by uniformed police one block from the High Court.

The WOZA national coordinator, Jenni Williams, took part in a discussion with the senior officer present, then began asking her demonstrators to disperse peacefully. At this point two truckoads of riot police, most of them believed to be either members of the notorious Police Reaction Group or a paramilitary Support Unit, drove up.

The police in one vehicle got out and began indiscriminately beating the women. The second truck, a Mazda with number NRP 3039 M, drove deliberately into the back of the crowd, knocking over several demonstrators.

Jenni Williams herself was beaten on the street, then thrown into one of the trucks where she was beaten again. The truck number was ZRP 2030 M. She and 12 other members of WOZA were arrested, and released later in the day.

Two other WOZA members went missing at this time, and so far their fate is unknown. They are believed to have been taken to a Support Unit base on the outskirts of the city. It is easy to imagine the treatment they are suffering.