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Zim cops 'abuse, torture women'
10/10/2007 08:42 - (SA)
Celean Jacobson
Johannesburg - Women activists in Zimbabwe have been beaten, forced to strip by police and detained while with their babies, according to a report alleging violations by security forces.
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) released results of a preliminary report showing that 73% of an initial sample of 397 members had been arrested more than once, 40% were tortured and 50% detained longer than the allowed 48 hours.
About 26% were injured badly enough to receive medical treatment. WOZA, formed in 2003, had become a powerful voice in the deepening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe.
It had held more than 100 peaceful protests and was known for its annual Valentine's Day march in which red roses were distributed in a call for love, peace and harmony in the country.
Human rights 'under attack'
Jenni Williams, one of the founders of the organisation, said: "Women of WOZA have often been the target of unprovoked attacks." Williams had been arrested about 30 times and had been living in safe houses for the last three years.
International organisations such as Amnesty International as well as human rights bodies in Zimbabwe had made similar assessments that human and political rights were increasingly under attack in the country.
According to Williams: "These types of violations have become commonplace in Zimbabwe as the government seeks to prevent Zimbabweans from protesting against the continuing devastating mismanagement of the economy, extensive and malicious corruption and a total disregard for the well-being of Zimbabweans."
Williams was accompanied by a number of members and a few - including a 19-year-old woman - gave an emotional account of their time at the hands of police, often breaking down into tears.
Violent conditions
Comment from Zimbabwe police was not immediately available. An official at Zimbabwe's embassy in Pretoria, who would only give his name as PT Chigiji, said he could not comment as he had not seen the report.
Williams said the report was done to highlight the violent conditions that still existed despite reports about progress being made in talks between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition.
President Thabo Mbeki, appointed by the Southern African Development Community to lead the mediation efforts, said last week that the negotiations were going well that there had been agreement that the elections would be free and fair elections.
"This can only occur if the process and the political climate in which it takes places are fully free and fair. An essential component of this climate is the absence of violence," said Williams.
Mbeki had been criticised for advocating what he called quiet diplomacy over confronting Mugabe, who was accused of overseeing his country's economic and political collapse.
- AP
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