As Democracy Advocates: Women HRDs 27 indication of how women are harassed when attempting to meet and discuss their concerns and take action to improve their socio-economic situation. 31 March 2005: Over 300 women who had gathered in Africa Unity Square in Harare on the eve of the parliamentary elections to pray for a peaceful poll and post-polling environment were arrested and detained at Harare Central Police Station. The police informed ZLHR lawyers who were deployed to represent the women that they were not allowed access to their clients until the next morning. The following day the lawyers reported to the police station, where it was established that over 265 women had been arrested and were occupying the backyard parking lot of the police station. The officer commanding Police Internal Security Intelligence, Inspector Ndou, indicated that they had arrested the women for allegedly contravening section 3(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, which provides that any person who encumbers or obstructs the free passage along a street, road, thoroughfare, sidewalk or pavement shall be guilty of an offence liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months. The police, however, were not keen to take the women to court to answer to the alleged charges. After much consultation, the women detainees were forced into paying admission of guilt fines in order to buy their freedom. This position was agreed to by all the women as they had been subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions of detention such as the use of one toilet, sleeping in the open all night, and also being assaulted by law enforcement officers and then denied medical treatment. Some of the women were subsequently hospitalised and treated for various injuries. Complaints were lodged with the authorities in relation to their ordeal with the police and in the police cells. The payment of fines was later successfully challenged in court and overturned. 4 May 2006: Members of the organisation Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) staged a demonstration in Bulawayo protesting against the exorbitant increase in tuition fees for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Over 166 people were arrested, including 77 schoolchildren – the latter being released on the same day. The activists were detained at different police stations in and around Bulawayo (Bulawayo Central, Queenspark, Mzilikazi, Hillside, Donnington and Sauerstown). The recording of warned and cautioned statements only began on 6 May after the detainees had already spent two days in detention. The police intended to charge the women HRDs with contravening section 7C of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, which relates to any act that is likely to lead to a breach of the peace or to create a nuisance or obstruction. The docket was only taken to the Public Prosecutor on 8 May, whereupon he declined to prosecute and ordered the detainees to be released immediately. The women therefore were subjected to over-detention by the police in contravention of their constitutional rights and protections for the rights of accused persons. During their time in police detention the women reported death threats by police officers against the leadership of the women’s group, and ZLHR lawyers delivered a formal letter of complaint to the police with a request to launch an investigation. The investigation remains pending to this date. 11 September 2006: A total of 107 WOZA members were arrested during a march to Town House in Harare. The women had been carrying objection letters and placards with them demanding better service delivery in Harare by the local authorities, more affordable rates, and the dissolution of the illegal commission that was then managing the affairs of the City of Harare. The women were met at the entrance to Town House by police and were arrested. Five police trucks ferried them to Harare Central Police Station where they were separated and taken to six different police stations in Harare (Braeside, Mbare, Glen Norah, Highlands,