WOZA Protests Against Police Brutality
26 July 2016
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The season of demos WOZA takes to the streets

Jenny Williams led hundreds of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members on Tuesday in a demonstration in central Bulawayo calling for an end to corruption, repression and police brutality.
The placard waving protestors – some of them waving the Zimbabwean flag -targeted key government institutions in the city centre, namely the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) offices, Bulawayo provincial police headquarters at Southampton building, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) offices and the Mhlahlandlela Government complex.
At the ZHRC offices, they called on the officers to investigate cases of human rights abuses. At the police headquarters they told police officers who were blocking the entrance to stop violating people’s rights and fulfil their constitutional mandate.
Passing through the ZIMRA offices, the protestors expressed their displeasure at the implementation of Statutory Instrument 64/2016 which bans the importation of particular items.
They also briefly stopped at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo statue erected in the heart of the city for a mini prayer calling on God to intervene in Zimbabwe’s situation.
Some of the placards that were been waved were inscribed, Repeal Statutory Instrument 64, Respect the Constitution, respect our rights, Fight injustice not people.
Addressing the protestors, Mahlangu said the police had no right to beat up citizens when they were failing to arrest those named in corruption cases.
“The police officers have double standards, President Mugabe spoke of 15 billion dollars diamond money that disappeared but we have not seen you arresting any of those implicated in the cases,” Mahlangu charged.
Williams said as a group they did not seek a police clearance to stage their demonstration as it is their right to do so as enshrined in the national constitution.
“We are demonstrating to expose the injustices and police brutality and demand the government to engage us and deal with the socio economic crises.
“There is no such thing as police clearance the constitution allows me to petition and protest,” she said.
The protestors failed to gain entry into the Mhlahlandlela Government building where they wanted to deliver a petition to Bulawayo provincial minister Sandi Moyo as they found the gates locked with anti-riot police manning the entrance. NewZim