Dozens of women, some carrying babies, have been arrested in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, for protesting against worsening power shortages, the organisers of the protest said on Tuesday.
The 36 women, 20 men and 10 babies were rounded up Monday after they held a sit-in at the offices of Zimbabwe’s main power company, Zesa, in the low-income suburb of Kuwadzana, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) said in a statement.
”They are currently being held at Harare Central Police Station where they were moved under armed guard,” the group said.
Simultaneous demonstrations by hundreds of Woza supporters took place in two other Harare suburbs but there were no arrests and activists were able to hand over their petitions, Woza said.
Two of those arrested in Kuwadzana were beaten in police custody, it added. Police have not confirmed the arrests.
More than 80 Woza activists were arrested last week for staging ”Power to the People” protests in the second city of Bulawayo. They were later released without being charged.
Zimbabwe is experiencing worsening power cuts in towns and cities countrywide due to a shortage of electricity in the region, which has seen exports to Zimbabwe cut.
The cash-strapped Southern African country is unable to generate enough of its own power due to a shortage of coal and its inability pay for repairs to generators. — Sapa-dpa