South African women mobilize against Zimbabwe abuses

(SomaliNet) South African women\'s organisations on Tuesday began mobilising to pressure Kgalema Motlanthe\'s government to act against continuing police brutality against women, after the detention of women\'s leaders in harrowing conditions in Harare.

The Opposition MDC has condemned the arrest and continued detention of women\'s leaders after the independent Women\'s Coalition of Zimbabwe said in a statement that police arrested 47 of its members outside the hotel where the troika summit was held on Monday afternoon.

In addition, the People Opposed to Women Abuse centre in Musina has counselled several women who have been raped while making the arduous journey to South Africa.


Talks over implementation of the power-sharing deal ended in an impasse again in Harare yesterday, after the parties decided to call on a full summit of the 15 members of the Southern Development Community.

It was mooted for Zimbabwe, or a neighbouring country, said general secretary Tomaz Salamao, but a date had not been set.

Tsvangirai has not had a passport for months and must apply for an emergency travel document if he wants to leave the country. This led to his boycott of a summit of the SADC troika on defence, security and politics co-operation last week.

Mukoni Ratshitanga, spokesperson for former South African president Thabo Mbeki, the facilitator of the power-sharing deal, said on Tuesday that the issue was a matter for the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe. He would not say which authorities.

Zimbabwean home affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, who has said that Mugabe is handling the matter, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday night.

A source has said the media would be notified if the matter was resolved, but nothing could be said in public as it might jeopardise any efforts, should they take place.

\"The passport issue is the crudest form of lack of sincerity,\" the MDC\'s chief negotiator, Tendai Biti, said on Tuesday. Biti said it was wrong to claim that the allocation of the ministry of home affairs was the only issue outstanding.

He listed other issues, including deliberations over the National Security Council.

Tomaz Salomao, executive secretary of the regional bloc, said at a news conference early on Tuesday that control of the ministry in charge of police - accused of widespread attacks on the opposition - was the main sticking point.

He said the planned summit would consider a recommendation that the ministry be rotated, with the two main parties holding it for six months or a year.-The Mercury