via Zimbabwe: Corruption Valentine Protest on Friday – WOZA | ZimEye By Letters to the Editor February 13, 2014
As the debate over corruption swelled on Wednesday, the Women Of Zimbabwe Arise organised announced they will be holding their annual Valentine Day protest against moral decadence. Their statement came soon after Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa spoke in parliament promising to deal with corruption at government level.
The women sent out the following press release:
WOZA calls on Zimbabweans to practice the spirit of Ubuntu for the love of Zimbabwe
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) will conduct their traditional Valentines Days peaceful protests, handing out red roses and calling on public office bearers to practice the spirit of Ubuntu (I am because we are) and realise that they represent people, and should do by respecting their own and the peoples dignity. This activity comes at a time when the nation is shocked by revelations’ of obscene salaries being earned by office bearers. As this looting continues unchecked, the economy crumbles.
WOZA leader Jenny Williams handing over submission they want included in the new constitution to ZANU-PF chief whip at parliament – FILE COPY
The anniversary of the referendum soon approaches on 16 March 2014 but very little has been done to harmonise laws so that the full richness of the constitution can provide much needed dignity to citizens and empower them with ways to check theft of public finance, corruption and to recall representatives who have been missing from their constituencies since the July 2013 election.
Valentine’s Day also comes at a time when the promise of free primary education a foundation of the liberation war and a clause in the constitution declaration of rights is in disarray. School levies have skyrocketed and corruption in schools has now reached unacceptable levels. Members of WOZA report that more children are being chased away from school. The Basic education Assistance Module, (BEAM) has been bankrupted and has been discontinued, when just one month’s salary of former CEO of the Premier Services Medical Aid could have paid fees for hundreds vulnerable children.
During the peaceful marches WOZA will be exposing these injustices and demanding the urgent activation of the constitution, with the delivery of primary schooling as a priority to be met by 30 December 2014.
WOZA also support the joint position of civic society regarding the need for more transparency and accountability by public officials. The statement by CSOs calls for the government to take urgent action to restore sanity by “instituting a commission of enquiry tasked with further investigating the obscene salary saga, ‘tenderpreneurship’ and any other underhand dealings taking place in the public sector”. The statement also calls for the dismissing all those found to be on the wrong side of the law. WOZA along with CSOs also expects the dismissing all board members implicated, naming and shaming them and also calling on them to right the wrong by paying back the money or donating to BEAM.
WOZA ask members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to respect the right to protest and petition contained in the constitution and ask them not to trample upon the roses of love.
COMMENTS
Go Woza Go
the last time WOZA tried to assemble peacefully, exercise their right to assemble peacefully, and speak freely a 67 year old black grandmother was beaten and had her arm broken by ZRP and your comrade ZANU thugs.
That my friends is a “Black Freedom Fighter”, just like the RAR.
Sterkte
All of us should join these brave women because their cause is good and genuine BUT most of our men will be in the beer halls making stupid comments.I have great respect for this organization.
Join them if you wish, but the moment belongs to them. A man makes his own decisions in life. In my world no man stands by or runs away while a woman or a child is raped or beaten and any man who allows this to happen is less than a man. Do not provoke
Bob or his thugs, that is what they want.
Pray for peace but prepare for war. The second Gukurihundi is coming.
sterkte
True it does appear Bob and the wailers are preparing for something drastic and their response will be to familiar. The Terrorists have come to roost.
yes Nyoni. Bob will be gone soon, but a mad dog with no master, is still a mad dog.
True die groot wyt aap but these terrs will always be terrs till the day they die.
I doubt if this peaceful demonstrations will go ahead. Let’s hope we don’t hear that the police has not sanctioned it. We have seen this for sometime now. Don’t forget we are dealing with a paranoid regime. They know what they fear.