About 300 members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) marched through the country’s second city Bulawayo yesterday afternoon.

Woza aimed to highlight bread and butter issues that Zimbabwe’s politicians are overlooking – both the shortage of food and the lack of dignity offered to ordinary people.

The protest also sought to test the “memorandum of understanding” recently signed by Zimbabwe’s politicians as negotiations began between the government and opposition.

The memorandum states that there should be freedom of political activity and that violence will be prevented.

The Woza demonstrators distributed a newsletter as they marched to the offices of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. The march finished without arrests.

This contrasts with Woza’s International Women’s Day march held on 8 March. Then protesters marching to the same destination were beaten by the police, with more than 50 needing medical attention.

It was the first Woza protest since 28 May in Harare when 14 leading members were arrested and held for several weeks.

Woza has announced plans to organise more protests over the next few weeks to press for civic representatives to be involved in the talks and to continue to test the politicians’ commitment to a non-violent solution.