Zimbabwe: Love marches went ahead, say WOZA

Press Statement by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
(Attachments at end: Hate Messages from WOZA MOYA newsletter and WOZA
background info)

WOZA activists wish to announce that a successful protest was carried out on
Valentines Day in Chitungwiza and 5 other suburban centres in Harare despite
fact that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) refused to allow other protests
to proceed and threatened to "shoot to kill" any protesters. Peaceful love
marches had been planned for Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and central Harare but
ZRP were fearful that the spirit of love would overcome hate.

The ZRP argued that the WOZA Valentine newsletter 'Woza Moya' (Come
cleansing wind) was an attempt to denounce the President of Zimbabwe R. G.
Mugabe. WOZA is about love for all Zimbabweans not about hating each other.
The flyer included messages of love and the details of the demonstration.
On the reverse of the flyer, WOZA quoted the President's words from Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation and print news coverage, which we determined as
hateful language; they should rather take it as tough love and a mother's
discipline. WOZA stands for the truth, we renew our call to end the
spreading of hate messages by all Zimbabweans. The media must assist in the
healing of the nation, by balancing messages between truth and love.

Women of Zimbabwe Arise is a civic action pressure group made up of
community women suffering under the current socio-economic and political
crisis. Last year, WOZA organised a protest on Valentines Day calling on
Zimbabweans to learn to love each other again and over 63 women and 9 men,
mainly journalists were arrested. 17 spent a night in custody. The
protestors were arrested under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), a
draconian law that is in conflict with constitutional freedoms and rights.

A statement issued by 'Mother WOZA' a grouping of movement leaders said,
"POSA is an unjust law that attempts to outlaw the most peaceful of marches
like the Valentine protest of handing out flowers and calling for love to
overcome hate. In Bulawayo, WOZA accepted the High Court ruling and no
protests went ahead in [OUT OF] respect for the judiciary. But in Harare
where written approval had been granted, Harare plain-clothes police told
two members of 'Mother WOZA' that if the marches went ahead, the police
would 'shoot to kill'. Despite this, women, who had collected at a secret
venue resolved to brave this threat and go to suburban centres and continue
with the work set for the day. In groups of between five to twenty they went
to suburban shopping centres and handed out the donated roses and specially
prepared Valentine Cards. In Chitungwiza, a group of about 130 women dressed
in white collected opposite Chitungwiza Police Station and proceeded to give
police cards and flowers which were well received. The band of women then
went through the shopping centre handing out their gifts of love. Mother
WOZA thanks Zimbabweans for receiving our message so well and for
identifying with it and echoing the words of suffering. Our message read:
"Our beloved Zimbabwe is crying. We must defend our right to love and let
love overcome hate. We also thank women who came from all walks of life for
answering the call, even though they found unreasonable police who chased
them away. We also thank our United Kingdom sisters for conducting a protest
outside Zimbabwe House to echo our plight and amplify our voice to be heard
despite POSA, Police and Politicians."

WOZA have determined that the Valentines Day protest was a resounding
success as we fulfilled our mandate to 'make injustice visible' and expose
the hatred by people whose job it is to protect the nation. We recognise
that the ZRP seems to have become enslaved by unjust laws.

Our Zimbabwe will be a better place when the power of love replaces the love
of power. Enough is Enough, Sokwanele, Zvakwana.

Ends
Mother WOZA
For more information, please contact Ph: (+263) 11 213 885 / 91 300 456
or write P.O. Box FM 701, Famona, Bulawayo Zimbabwe Donation towards the
care of orphans welcomed.
Email: [email protected]
London Support Centre contact: [email protected]

Abridged version of Valentine edition of WOZA MOYA (Come cleansing wind)
Our Valentines Day protest message is: Cry Beloved Zimbabwe - Defend your
right to love!
What we expect of participants:
· Attend the walk to show solidarity with other women.
· Show that you love Zimbabwe by bringing roses or any flowers to hand out
as we walk.
· We will walk peacefully through the streets dressed in white for peace.
· Follow the instruction of the walk marshals
· If you cannot join us, demonstrate at your closest shopping centre. But
please try to do it at the same time so that we are together.
· If the Police arrest participants, put flowers on Police Station/
(External at High Commission offices) pavements to remind them that
Zimbabweans still have the right to peaceful protest under the constitution.

WHY ARE WE ARE CRYING? We say CRY BELOVED ZIMBABWE...
· For those who have died from political violence.
· For rape victims and the victims of politically motivated rape used as a
form of torture.
· For our hungry children and orphans that we can no longer afford to feed,
clothe and educate.
· For our children living in exile as refugees
· For those who die of HIV/AIDS without access to healthcare.
· For many of us have lost our jobs and our self-respect.
· For all women who continue to be discriminated against in all spheres of
society.
· We are crying to put out the fire of hate burning our beloved Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans are told to HATE but choose to LOVE! This will be a better place
when the power of love replaces the love of power. We want Zimbabweans to
LOVE each other, help us by stopping this hate fire.

STOP spreading HATE:
· Newspapers, radio and television must balance their messages.
· Give us back our freedom of expression - remove AIPPA and POSA so we can
meet freely.
· Restore the healthcare system - Treatment and medicines availability is
almost zero.
· Disband the Youth Militia - our children come home infected with hate and
diseases.
· Political violence is increasing: We must be free to vote for the
candidate of our choice.
· Corruption must be stamped out everywhere without favouring a small group.

International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (Zimbabwe is a
signatory)
Article 20: Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.
Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes
incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by
law.

Didymus Mutasa, ZANU PF Organising Secretary Mugabe: "We would be better off
with only 6 million people with our own people who support the liberation
struggle. We don't want all these extra people."

Solidarity Peace Trust in August 2003 Comments from youth militia themselves
about their activities: Interviews with youth militia in Zimbabwe and South
Africa
"It was about vandalism. We were used to do the things the State does not
want to do themselves. Then they can just say it was just the youths, not
us".
"We are Zanu-PF's "B" team. The army is the "A" team and we do the things
the government does not want the "A" team to do.
"We got a lot of power. Our source of power was this encouragement we were
getting, particularly from the police and others. It was instilled in us
that whenever we go out, we are free to do whatever we want and nobody was
going to question that."

Constantine Chiwenga General, Zimbabwe's new defence force boss, giving the
country's doctors and nurses a final order to end their two-month strike "If
you refuse to co-operate, we can take you to the army barracks and detain
you, and you will see what will happen."

President Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe Independent 17 Jan 2004. Article title: Is
there Hate Speech in Zimbabwe "Our party must continue to strike fear in the
heart of the white man, our real enemy! Make them tremble." "Whites are not
human beings"

More about WOZA
WOZA is a Zulu word meaning 'Come forward`. WOZA was formed as a civic
movement to provide women from all walks of life with a united voice to
speak out on issues affecting their day-to-day lives and to encourage women
to stand up for their rights and freedoms. WOZA' s key activities are
non-violent civil defiance actions in Zimbabwe, such as the Valentine's and
Mother's Day street protests, protests against the shortage of cash (when
banks ran out of notes) and in support of the right to freedom of
expression.