VOA常速英语2007-Zimbabwe Women's Group Reports Mistreatment by P

By Peta Thornycroft
Southern Africa
11 October 2007

A group of 12 Zimbabwe women who say they regularly have been mistreated in police custody¹ have produced an interim² report they say documents shocking statistics of violence against members of their group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise. Peta Thornycroft reports the women presented their report on their first trip to South Africa.

The women came by bus, on the long journey from Zimbabwe. Their first reaction, on arrival, was amazement³ at all the food available in the hotel where they were staying.

Most of the women say they have not seen bread or meat for nearly three months - since President Robert Mugabe froze prices at their mid-June level, in the face of inflation of more than 6,000 percent.

The report released by the group says 40 percent of WOZA women arrested during peaceful demonstrations⁴ were physically⁵ abused in detention⁶.

The group says WOZA members in Harare suffered more in police custody than their counterparts in Zimbabwe's second-largest city, Bulawayo.

The WOZA report says many women were held naked in prison. It says more than 20 percent of those arrested were hospitalized after being attacked by policemen, mostly from the Law and Order Department.

Police spokesmen in Harare were not available for comment on WOZA's report.

National Coordinator⁷ Jenni Williams, who says she has been detained 29 times, says the women are not aligned⁸ with any political party in Zimbabwe.

She describes Zimbabwe as a "heartbroken nation." She says the death rate in Zimbabwe from HIV / AIDS is exacerbated⁹ by food shortages, across the country.

Mary Ndlovu, veteran human rights activist¹⁰, living in Bulawayo, is the widow of a Zimbabwe liberation war hero buried in Heroes Acre. She says her late husband was detained, without trial, by President Mugabe in the 1980's and died shortly after his release. She is a leader of the WOZA group.

 

"I joined WOZA because I felt there was a great need for a movement of people to come together, be brave together, to redefine goals, take a step away from the political power issue," she said.

 

Mary Ndlovu said they have women around the country who want to join WOZA, but they do not have the capacity or the logistics to get to them.

Magodonga Mahlangu says she has been detained more than 20 times in five years, the last time just two weeks ago. Recently her dog, Snowy, was beaten to death at her home.

 

"I joined WOZA because I come from a region where there are a lot of gross human rights violations¹¹, that is Matabeleland. For 27 years people have been suffering in silence. I have to be involved," said Mahlangu.

 

All her siblings¹² have left Zimbabwe. Mahlangu says she has to remain and help create a better country so they can return home.

Williams says WOZA is not against the present negotiations¹³ between the ruling Zanu PF and the opposition¹⁴ Movement for Democratic Change.

But she says there never will be free and fair elections, while violence against citizens continues.

1 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

9 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

12 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。