26 S trategic impact litigation to protect the rights of detainees … Jennifer Williams & 3 Others v The Minister of Home Affairs & 3 Others ZLHR Annual Report 2014 ZLHR took up this case on behalf of four members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) who had been arrested during a peaceful demonstration in Harare and wished to challenge the conditions of detention of the holding cells at Harare Central police station where they had been detained. ZLHR argued that the conditions of detention were inhuman and degrading and therefore violated the constitutional rights of the women. Among other issues raised, ZLHR argued that the practice of forcing women to remove their shoes and undergarments whilst in detention was inhuman and degrading; further, the poor conditions in the cells were such that they violated the fundamental rights of the WOZA detainees. In a precedent-setting judgment, the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe concurred with these arguments and declared the Harare Central police station holding cells to be uninhabitable and a violation of the constitutional rights of the detainees. The Constitutional Court directed the state to ensure that essential amenities, such as clean toilets that are private, were provided; that each detainee had a clean mattress and adequate blankets and access to clean water at all times; and that detained women be allowed to keep their undergarments including brassieres; and wear suitable footwear in the cells. ZLHR is now monitoring the implementation of this court judgment so as to ensure it benefits women detainees in the future. ZLHR lawyers chat with members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise after the Constitutional Court case in Harare