On 25 October, five members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were arrested following a peaceful march to protest against the illegal eviction of more than 60 residents in a housing premise in Bulawayo. Faina Maphosa, Maria Moyo, Samkeliso Sibanda, Senie Dube and Thalitha Mtendesi are the most recent human rights defenders to bear the brunt of the Zimbabwean governments intense crackdown on dissidents.
Reports claim that the women marched into the housing premise and distributed leaflets highlighting their grievances with the Zimbabwean authorities. The women were allegedly harassed by officers and subjected to degrading treatment whilst spending the night at Mzilikazi and Sauerstown police stations. The women were released on bail on 27 October 2006. They are due to appear in court on 10 November charged under Chapter 46, Section 2, (v) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The charges have been dropped against Maria Moyo. 
