Woza activists demonstrate at Parly

More than 100 Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) activists yesterday briefly demonstrated at Parliament Building in Harare to protest against society's negative perception of women and the systemic violence and socio-economic disadvantages suffered by women, especially in the distribution of the country's resources.

Woza coordinator Jennifer Williams told journalists after the demonstration that their petition demanded that the ruling Zanu PF party avail to all Zimbabweans copies of the new economic blue-print Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-economic Transformation (ZimAsset) being pushed through by President Robert Mugabe's government.

"We want access to their mysterious document if it is for all Zimbabweans then it should never be a secret but be a public document. Unless they are telling us that they have an economic policy for Zanu PF members alone.

"Women are also not happy with the response that police have resorted to; they are resorting to violence against peace loving women," Williams said.

Williams said the petition signed by some 15,000 Woza members from Harare and Bulawayo was received by the legislature's legal counsel, Gladys Pise.

"We are indebted to the women in this building (Parliament) who have received the petition on behalf of the Speaker when the Clerk of Parliament (Austin Zvoma) seemed not too willing.

"We want action and will wait for their response. Zanu PF and President Mugabe promised people jobs and we are waiting for them. He (Mugabe) promised that his government would hit the ground running and we have seen none of that, they should act and act now," the combative WOZA coordinator said.

Speakers who addressed the gathering said women trying to earn an honest living were being harassed by police and city security details on a daily basis.

"You (police) are harassing us every day in the streets. Our children want to go to school and we should be able to pay their fees but you seem oblivious to the fact that the government you so meticulously serve has failed to create jobs.

"Worse still if we go to night spots, we are harassed and detained, if we try to do things the right way we are beaten up. We want our rights," shouted a woman pointing at police details who maintained a menacing vigil on the demonstrators.

Another Woza official Magodonga Mahlangu said Zimbabweans had no confidence that the Zanu PF government would deliver on its election promises.

"We do not have confidence that the resources in Lupane (Methane gas) and Manicaland (diamonds) will benefit the people of those areas. We do not have confidence that the ruling party will implement the things it promised during the election campaign," said Mahlangu.

Bulawayo police last week violently broke up a similar demonstration by WOZA marking the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender based violence.