CHENGETAI MURIMWA
Cases of gender-based violence in Zimbabwe could be understated as many victims fear placing charges against their perpetrators, a local activist has said.
Trichardt Ncube a Programmes Coordinator and a GBV activist who works for a Community Based Organisation called Buwalo Matalikilo says these GBV perpetrators give a wrong impression that GBV is a “Smart Crime” that does not warrant reporting and justice.
“This has resulted in many victims of abuse to continue to suffer in si-
lence as they normalise and get used to being abused,” said Ncube.
“By not reporting such cases and not seeking professional help people
will be nurturing criminal behaviour and this should stop”.
Ncube said most wome especially in rural communities where he works
are not empowered enough and they are financially dependent on theirhusbands who often abuse them.
“Non reporting of such cases are as a result of a myriad of challenges that women face that need to be addressed by policy makers and the police,” he said.
“These challenges include distances travelled from crime scenes (from homes) to police stations, dependency on men and underpinning cultural beliefs that act as barriers for women to protect their marriages through non reporting of GBV cases committed against them by their own husbands.”
He added that families play negative crucial role in the protection of the perpetrators who become so comfortable with receiving counselling each time they commit a “planned mistake” of committing violence against women.
“Many women have been commodified and materialised by their own husbands. That’s dangerous! Violence largely emanates from the materialising of women who in turn becomes subjects and objects of
abuse,” he said.
Ncube said in most circumstances, victims of abuse are equally to blame” and guilty of letting their abusers abuse them without seeking legal action.
“They do not know that protecting the same people who are abusing them is continued suffering on their part,” he said. “Reporting GBV cases is one step towards enjoyment as opposed to endurance. It only takes the courage to report and put to an end to further abuse.
A South Africa based musician Sha-Sha added her voice and said the problem of Gender Based Violence should not be dealt with by the government alone but families need to play a part when raising their children.
Sha-Sha whose real name is Charmaine Mapimbiro says GBV is a
societal problem that requires a multipronged approach in dealing with.
“The problem goes deeper than just the government giving stiffer sentences, It goes to how a person is raised, how a young man is raised and the household plays an important role in raising a child,” said ShaSha.
She said as artists they can play their part by creating awareness cam-
paigns but households have to play their part too.
“As an artist we do songs and create awareness but it should not end there, the main problem is the homes where people are groomed before they come out to the world,” she said.
Sha-Sha features on Something Soweto’s hit song Akulaleki which features DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small. Zimbabwe is joining the rest of the world in commemoratin 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
