SUKOLUHLE NDLOVU
It’s in the midst of a thicket bush in Wanderer Mine, located in Shurugwi district, Midlands Province.
After a few kilometres of meandering in the bumpy strip of a dust road infested with potholes, we finally arrived at our destination.
Children, joyful kick the tattered handmade ball as they play just in front of their homes. They occasionally giggle as they enjoy their soccer moments and they continually wipe their sweaty and dusty faces with their worn out T-shirts.
We get into the first homestead that we see and after announcing our presence a woman emerges from a kitchen hut and greets us.
She introduces herself as Pretty Moyo.
Everyone is perplexed by her swollen jaw and a wounded forehead. Upon holding a conversation, we learn that she was assaulted by her husband the previous night after she talked back to him. She narrates how she was mercilessly beaten to a pulp by her husband in front of their two minor children aged 4 and 6.
“He was shouting and cursing asking why l had prepared soda and vegetables and l told him that there was no money to buy meat and he started punching me,” she laments.
This area is already a fertile ground of gender based violence (GBV) due to illegal mining activities in Shurugwi.
This makes it even a more dangerous place for women and children who cannot defend themselves. The violence which is mostly committed using machetes is fuelled by drug and substance abuse by young men and women.
As the conversation progresses, she also reveals how this is not the first time she has been beaten up by her husband over the 7 years they have been married.
“He’s very short tempered and he’s quick to raise his hand. The other time l had to seek medical attention after the beating. I had to lie at the clinic that l was attacked by robbers in order to get assistance. I couldn’t tell the truth because he was going to be arrested and that could have angered him even more,” she said.
Asked on why she can’t leave her abusive husband, Moyo said: “I can’t just leave my marriage that will bring shame to my family. My parents will be a laughing stock because a woman who leaves her marriage is believed to be a failure.”
She sadded with teary eyes while fidgeting with her fingers: “The other reason is that if l leave him, my kids will suffer because I won’t be able to take care of them as l am not employed. So staying here is the only reasonable option.
“Three months ago, a neighbour had a misunderstanding with her husband who is also a gold panner like mine and he struck her with a machete and she died. I always get scared thinking what if the same thing happens to me.”
Moyo is one of over 7 664 victims of GBV recorded in Zimbabwe in 2021. Figures from United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) show that from January to November last year, 7 664 GBV cases were reported through the National GBV Hotline, a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2020.
Even though men do also suffer gender based violence, the majority of victims are women.
UNPFA also revealed that in Zimbabwe, about 1 in 3 women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence and about 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
According to Petty Musekiwa, a psychologist who deals with victims of gender based violence, women who are victims of gender based violence find it hard to leave their abusers as they are not independent.
“Such kind of women need to be empowered financially and with knowledge so that they are able to fend for the children and make informed decisions. Without this empowerment, it becomes difficult for them to leave their abuses as they depend on them. The other reason is that they are disempowered by their abusers psychologically and instills fear in them. So leaving such a person becomes out of question,” she said.
Musekiwa added: “People in closed communities do not let outsiders into their issues but rather believe in solving disputes internally which unfortunately leads to more suffering of women and children.”
According to a report by Afrobarometer published in October this year, GBV in Zimbabwe remains both prevalent and vastly under-reported, as many survivors decide to suffer in silence rather than risk stigmatisation or an unresponsive legal system.
The report also states that more than 52% of citizens say violence against women and girls is a common occurrence and must be quickly addressed.
“In Zimbabwe, most citizens say physical force is never justified to discipline women, but they report that GBV is a common occurrence and constitutes the most important women’s-rights issue that the government and the society must address. Most consider GBV a criminal matter and believe that the police take GBV cases seriously. But, almost half also say it’s likely that a woman who reports GBV will be criticised, harassed, or shamed,” reads the report.
