Johannesburg — Police in Bulawayo arrested 78 women activists at the weekend as they attempted to stage a demonstration to mark World Refugee Day and draw attention to the plight of Zimbabweans "living like refugees", an official of the NGO, Women of Zimbabwe (WOZA), told IRIN on Monday.

Zimbabwean police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed the arrests, but was unable to confirm the number held. He said all the women had been released after they admitted guilt to "staging an illegal demonstration" but two women were still to appear in court.

Annah Mpofo of WOZA, which lobbies for women's rights, said the national convenor, Jennifer Williams, and another office-bearer, Patricia Kanye, were still in custody, while the others had been released.

The purpose of the protest was to draw attention to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, "which has forced many Zimbabweans to live like refugees in other countries," Mpofo said.

On St Valentine's day last year, WOZA staged protests against the country's rocketing inflation, resulting in 70 members - and some journalists covering the march - being arrested for breaching the Public Order and Security Act (POSA). An anti-POSA demonstration in July 2003 led to further arrests of WOZA supporters.