Staff Writer
It has been established that Zimbabwean young women are always at the receiving end of abuses especially in public spheres following a breakfast meeting courtesy of Tag a Life International (TaLI) under the programme, “Young Women Solidarity Platform”. Due to the increase of the abuses in public life, they are calling for government’s interventions to stop the abuses.
The young women raised a number of issues that are affecting them in the current Zimbabwe economy which are forcing them to need to participate in public life, despite the fact that it is their constitutional right to do so. The young women bemoaned the killings of August 1, 2018, and that the government has not done anything pertaining perpetrators of victims which include women who were killed during demonstrations as they exercised their democratic rights or simply passing through town going about their day to day business.
Young women told members of the parliament during the meeting that in January 2019 some women lost their lives, as well as women who were raped, until now there has not been anybody held responsible for these crimes against citizens. Most recently women’s pictures dominated the recently held August 16 demonstrations with police beating them.
Others were seen lying down as though they were dead. One young woman who was on the panel that was hosted by Ms Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, the Host of Identities Conversations said that young women were now afraid to participate in public life because of fear of violence by the police or soldiers, yet the police is supposed to protect them.
Addressing harassment against Women Human Rights Defenders, the young women appealed to the members of parliament to speak on their behalf in parliament to ensure that their rights to participate in public life are protected, that the state should provide protection to women rather than torture women, that the women should go about their business of helping others, or participating in public life without fearing violations or abductions.
Recently, social media has been awash with the news that Samantha Kureya also known as Gonyeti in comedy circles was abducted and beaten by unknown assailants. Those are some of the abuse cases that the government needs to take action as demanded by the young women.
Some parliamentarians who graced the occasion include Honorables Madiwa, Chinanzvavana, Saruwaka, Mpariwa, Chikukwa amongst others.
The Young women also called for the prosecution of the clergyman Walter Magaya after a series of sexual abuses levelled against him. Magaya is alleged to have abused a number of women in his ministry though victims later recanted in many cases.
One of the young women who attended the meeting stated that, “Magaya is abusing a lot of women in his ministry and probably he is using money to silence them because all his victims always make a U-turn saying we were not abused but we know that there is no smoke without fire, we are appealing to the government to investigate him”.
The young women asked the members of parliament to raise these issues in parliament so that those with the responsibility to protect women, to investigate on such complex cases will be forced to do so.
The case of Magaya comes with abuse of power by him, corruption being levelled against some members of the police force who are accused of having made dockets to disappear for the reports made by some of the victims. His case comes with claims of use of money to silence both victims and anybody who touches on the case to resolve it.
However with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission having officially launched an investigation against him, for the young women, the women of Zimbabwe and anybody who cares for justice, it is only a matter of time before justice is served.
Following the Magaya case, the Young Women called for the members of parliament to regulate churches. Their argument was that without regulations of churches, nowadays churches have become income generation for most youths who self proclaim themselves as Prophets or Bishops just to lure people to come and join their churches before they turn to abuse them sexually and financially.
The young women bemoaned that churches should be a place of safety, a place where they go to spiritually heal, but they have become a place of abuse of power on many levels.
The members of parliament who were present had a chance to respond to young women’s calls for firstly making and implementing laws that protect young women in public spaces, as well as protection of young women in churches.
Honorable Chinanzvavana acknowledged the challenges which are pushing women out of public life and politics, including women human rights defenders, and said that as women politicians they are enduring abuse verbally, physically and emotionally. She acknowledged the sorry state of affairs in Zimbabwe where women are being killed, raped and violated in public spaces by sometimes those who should protect them.
She vowed however to raise these issues in parliament. While Honorable Madiwa was of the opinion that young women should be careful in what they participate and engage in, she emphasised that women must be safe, and that young women should work with leaders such as them to address their issues.
The members of parliament were happy to invite the young women to petition parliament regarding issues that matter to them. Honourable Madiwa said that as a leader on the women’s issues in parliament, she has never received a petition to such issues so she was happy to work with young women regarding issue of violence against them in public life.
Honorable Saruwaka was of the opinion that Zimbabwe has enough laws to protect women and citizens in public life and that what lakes is just commitment to implementation of such laws.
“There is no need to enact new laws because we have enough laws as a country to stop these abuses hence what is needed is implementation of those laws”. Responding to the Magaya Sexual Allegations whose victims recanted, Saruwaka said “It is so sad that these women woke up withdrew charges saying we were not abused and with that scenario how can you expect him to be prosecuted because there will be no enough evidence. You become the system that perpetrated abuse just be strong women to stand for your rights if you want Magaya to be prosecuted. Is it that you are accepting abuse? I urge you to stand by your stories and let justice prevail that way you can stop the abuse,” said Honorable Saruwaka.
Ms Nyaradzo Mashayamombe who chaired the conversations with the members of parliament however pressed the member of parliament asking Honorable Saruwaka to realise that he is in the meeting as a member of parliament who needs not labor himself in the justice process as he mentioned issues of women who are going back on their word on Magaya, but rather that he and others in parliament must raise their voices, representing citizens, and press the police and other relevant authorities to provide mechanisms for the women who are recanting to be protected and supported to speak.
Hon Saruwaka admitted that as members of parliament their role is to raise the noise and ask the police and others to investigate such high profiled cases as Magaya allegations.
He also supported the issue of government establishing a regulatory board which will govern the churches as he made reference of Rwanda where churches are now regulated and there are standards for one to be called a pastor. He shared that for example, for one to be a preacher in Rwanda one has to have a degree in theology.
The young women emphasised the need for the state to put in place measures to end violence, torture and abuse of women in public life, and that they are happy to push for those rights themselves.
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