30 women arrested outside Zimbabwe's Parliament

30 women arrested outside Zimbabwe's Parliament

THE women were arrested outside Zimbabwe's Parliament

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By Agencies

ABOUT 30 women who were arrested last week for taking part in a protest march in Zimbabwe were detained again on Tuesday when they presented a petition to parliament opposing a clampdown on human rights groups.

Police arrested the women outside the parliament building in central Harare after they presented a petition against a proposed law that would ban international human rights groups and cut off foreign funding to local groups that promote democracy.

The women last week staged a protest march from the second city of Bulawayo to Harare to draw attention to the plight of scores of groups promoting civil society in the southern African country.

"We have walked 440 kilometres to deliver this petition to parliament and hope and pray that you will hear our cries and not pass this bill," said the petition from the women, most of whom were members of the Women from Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) group.

"If the bill is passed in its current form, it will strike at the very existence of us and our families."

"We do try to survive independently but without help from NGOs (non-governmental organisations), our families and those of us who are ill shall surely fade away and die," said the petition, which was also backed by AIDS support groups.

The government of President Robert Mugabe in August made public the bill that has yet to be presented to parliament.

Rights activists have mobilised to oppose the clampdown, resulting in several arrests over the past weeks for staging illegal protests under provisions of Zimbabwe's tough security law. - Sapa-AFP
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