via Women marchers assaulted outside parliament | SW Radio Africa by Nomalanga Moyo on Thursday, February 13, 2014
Police assaulted several members of the Women in Zimbabwe Arise pressure group as they left parliament after submitting a petition.
Police, clad in anti-riot gear, accused the peaceful marchers of demonstrating without permission, before beating them up with truncheons.
“We had gone to deliver our demands to parliament when the police said we had no permission to do so. I explained to them that the new constitution allows us,” Magodonga Mahlangu told SW Radio Africa on the Big Picture programme.
Mahlangu said the police went away, only to return with reinforcements and descended on the WOZA members as they were dispersing from parliament.
“That’s how cowardly the police are, they were beating us from behind because they couldn’t even face us,” said the human rights defender.
None of the members were arrested.
Thursday’s march, ahead of the traditional WOZA Valentine’s Day peaceful demos on Friday, was to protest the corruption and looting of public resources by public officials.
“This year we are calling for public officials to revisit the spirit of ubuntu or ‘I am because we are’, and realise that they represent people, and should respect their own and other people’s dignity.”
Mahlangu said WOZA members are shocked by revelations’ of obscene salaries being earned by office bearers in parastatals, which she said had led to the collapse of the economy.
“We are demanding the implementation of the constitution to promote accountability. The constitution can provide much needed dignity to citizens and empower them with ways to check theft of public finance and corruption.
“The new charter also provides for free primary education but right now millions of children from poor backgrounds have been excluded from school following the discontinuation of the Basic Education Assistance Model,” she said.
WOZA has given parliament until the end of this year to fully implement the constitution.
COMMENTS
murikurovavnamai vedu muchida kuvharidzira nyadzi dzehumbavha tichakurovai chete
If someone had told me in 1980 that we the people of Zimbabwe would face brutality from a Black (Majority )Government I would have laughed in their face and called them liars. I and a lot of other Zimbabweans I’m sure where jubilant thinking repression was dead. I never dreamt that a Black Zimbabwean serviceman or Police Officer would assault, maim, and be regarded as an object of fear by any Zimbabwean.I thought wrongly our officers would keep us safe and give us directions with a smile when we get lost in the city.The sjambok weilding, baton happy,blood thirsty monsters I see in Police uniform couldn’t be further from the dream we where sold back then.
”We was cheated” as the lingo goes
How wrong I was
How wrong!
Don’t feel too bad Lucy many of us myself included, thought the same. Even sadder is that, being objective, I have to concede that the RF government of Ian Smith with all it’s many shortcomings gave us a better quality of life. It’s not easy to admit this but I must.
These are brave and heroic guys, taking time off from stealing money from the public at road blocks to beat up some innocent women must have been a big sacrifice. The president will probably give them medals. In fact book a place at heroes acre for them. Hold them up as icons so that the youth can see exactly the kind of Zimbabwe the government is trying to build.
Men armed with batons beating unarmed women in public is beyond the pale. This is disgusting behaviour. Robert Mugabe this is the Zimbabwe you have made.
Please Zanu can you call 666 and make an appointment .AND DO IT NOW!
The evil regime has no morals, pity or respect for people’s wishes. ALL THEY KNOW IS TO DISH OUT VIOLENCE!
I think what is happening now is a wake up call for all Zimbabweans to see. MDC T tried their best to give us an alternative government but some of us said they are a puppet of the west. They entered in the GNU and stabilised the economy but on the elections day we gave them the middle finger and dined with ZANU pf. Its only 7 months down the line from the elections and ZANU pf are already descenting heavily on the same people they tricked to vote them. We know the elections were rigged but what I am saying is if we had all of us had stood with MDC the chance of rigging could have been zero. Some of you were used to vote more than once for ZANU pf and you obliged. Muchamama chete.
Let’s hope that they didn’t want to rape them! These bloody rapists!
These officers are paid by the ‘state’ and the ‘state ‘ is Zanu PF.They know the side where their bread is buttered, not the populace but Mugabe and his cronies, they only should they protect!!!!!!!
The hooligans who attack unarmed women in front of legislators are school dropouts from Border Gezi brainwashing lessons.My friends in the police force tell me that these naive and misguided youths in the riot squad are really tarnishing their images.They are led by a few old war vets who cannot read or write.What they forget is that violence leads to more violence therefore they will be surprised one day when the public start fighting back forcefully.Where are the men when this is happening to our wives?If these ladies broke the law,why not arrest them and take them to court instead of brutally attack peaceful ladies who know their constitutional rights.
“If someone had told me in 1980 that we the people of Zimbabwe would face brutality from a Black (Majority )Government I would have laughed in their face and called them liars.” Lucy if you were in the rural areas in the war then nothing that ZANU does now should be shocking to you. The comrades were ruthless killers during the war – our main crimes were selling out, witchcraft, refusing to cook for them and give them suppliers, and for some parents questioning their relationship with their daughters. The current seeds of violence and fear were sown in the 70s
This is the truth
Human Rights and women rights must be respected. What is it that incensed the police to warrant beating up innocent women peacefully marching to deliver a petition to their representatives in parliament. Since when did parliament building (imba yevanhu) become a security risk area. Mind you parliament building is not jongwe house which ZANU PF can claim ownership. For the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe, Jongwe house was built from contributions by the public. ZANU PF did not have money to put up such a structure. Police must be apolitical and reasonable.
do not talk about the problems zimbabwians have do something about them
If only all e opposition parties can come together and organize mass demonstrations can we over come zpf. I, however, wld like to salute woza n hope they take e lead in mobilzing other pro democracy grps kuti demo riitwe nemunhu wese. We can’t wait for MT cos he seems to be tired n fatigued