Feminist Peace Network

From SW Radio Africa:

“Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu have spent their third weekend - and a total of 19 days - in Mlondolozi Prison in Bulawayo. Despite a High Court appeal on the 27th October there has still been no response from authorities. The pair have been denied bail three times in a Magistrate’s court, prompting the defense lawyer to appeal in the High Court last week.

WOZA says it is concerned about their well being as the group has been told they will now only be allowed to visit once every two weeks. Previously they were allowed to see them daily during the week. Although the daily visits have been stopped, they are still being allowed to send food into the prison.

WOZA believes the two women are being punished for filing complaints about the way they are being treated by the prison guards. The pressure group also accuse the High Court of “playing games” as court officials are never available when the defense lawyer tries to contact them. WOZA said: “The latest ploy, in a long list of delaying tactics, is that the judge that received the paperwork on Thursday 30th October has gone to Hwange and they are unable to locate the file to give to another judge.”

Williams and Mahlangu were arrested on October 16th for leading a peaceful demonstration in Bulawayo calling for an end to the suffering of all Zimbbweans. Several protesters were beaten and a number were arrested, but released on the same day.

Meanwhile, the influential South African Council of Churches (SACC) joined the growing list of South African civil and student bodies condemning the unjust detention of the WOZA leaders.

“We are very concerned about the welfare of these two courageous women,” said Eddie Makue, SACC General Secretary. “It is ironic that those who are working for peace are charged with disturbing it, while those with the power to promote a true and just peace seem to have no interest in doing so,” he added.

The SACC General Secretary called for a speedy and fair trail of the two women and called on the political leaders to involve civil society in negotiations to resolve the political impasse. “Incidents such as the attack on WOZA heighten our concern that ordinary Zimbabweans will be the ones to suffer if the country’s social compact is nothing more than a self-serving agreement among political elites.”

From the Zimbabe Independent:

“The Attorney-General (AG)’s office has failed to respond to an urgent High Court application filed on Monday by lawyers representing leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu appealing against the state’s denial of bail to the duo.

Williams and Mahlangu were denied bail by Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa on Monday who concurred with the state that if the two were released on bail they were likely to “prejudice the administration of justice by committing a similar offence,” as evidenced by their four pending cases.

Maphosa in her judgement cited a section of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act that applies to violent crimes.

However, the lawyer representing the two Woza leaders, Kossam Ncube, of Kossam Ncube & Associates, said the Attorney-General’s office was supposed to have responded to the application within the stipulated 48 hours in line with the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

“The Attorney-General office was supposed to respond within 48 hours as stated in the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, but they have failed to do so,” Ncube said. “We have since requested that the application documents be taken to any High Court judge for a ruling. We will only know the outcome tomorrow (today).”

Williams and Mahlangu have spent over two weeks in police custody.

In her judgment, Maphosa ruled that the current political climate was not conducive for demonstrations and argued that protests by Woza were damaging and likely to incite public violence.

However, she dismissed the state’s claim that the applicants were of no fixed abode.

Williams and Mahlangu were arrested over a fortnight ago at Mhlahlandlela government complex in Bulawayo while leading more than 200 activists during demonstrations to protest against delays in the formation of an all-inclusive government.

In a statement this week, Woza condemned Maphosa’s ruling and said it was further evidence that the judiciary has been politicised and that the current power-sharing talks were a “hollow sham”.

“Once again Zanu PF has demonstrated that it is determined to cling to power whatever the cost. We remain committed to demanding social justice for all Zimbabweans regardless of the personal cost and stand by the demands that led to Williams and Mahlangu being arrested,” the Woza statement read.

Human rights organisations have been lobbying for their release with Human Rights Watch being the latest organisation to do so.”

Filed under: Uncategorized, Misogyny, Gender-Based Violence, Human Rights