Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, founders of the social justice movement Woza, face trial in Bulawayo after a peaceful protest
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) is a social justice movement created 10 years ago this week to unite Zimbabwean women and help them speak out against the social, economic and human rights problems they face. It currently has around 70,000 members.
Last September, police arrested 12 Woza members who were on a peaceful march to commemorate the International Day of Peace. They detained them in poor and overcrowded conditions for periods ranging from a few hours to several days. Ten were released without charge, but Jenni Williams, 49, and Magodonga Mahlangu, 39, the leaders of the movement, now face trial in Bulawayo on charges of "kidnapping and theft".
On 16 January this year, a judge rejected their application for the case to be dropped. Woza is concerned that language differences between the judge and the key witnesses could have played a part in the decision. With no audio recording of the trial, Woza fears a miscarriage of justice.
Since Woza was founded, Amnesty International has recorded numerous incidents where members have been arrested, harassed and beaten by police, simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest. Woza activists have reported being severely beaten while in detention, being held in stress positions for long periods, or having plastic bags put over their heads when they refused to talk.
Over the years, Jenni and Magodonga have been particularly targeted; Jenni has been arrested around 40 times. They are seen as troublemakers and are regularly locked up on spurious grounds, sometimes without access to a lawyer and in horrendous, cramped conditions.
Write to the Zimbabwean deputy commissioner-general (crime) and call on him to respect the right of Woza activists to gather and peacefully express their views here.