THE launch of the national campaign against rape yesterday by Vice-President Joice Mujuru turned highly emotional when a woman whose 14-year-old niece was married off to an elderly man by the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect broke down at the podium while narrating the issue.
VENERANDA LANGA
Earlier on VP Mujuru — who had already left the podium when the woman broke down — had given statistics that during 2012 to the first quarter of 2014 a total of 3 571 adult women had been raped while 7 411 girls were raped.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had also given statistics that between January and May this year 1 494 cases of rape of minors were reported.
Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development minister Oppah Muchinguri comforted the woman who was now crying uncontrollably. Several other women attending the event shouted demanding prompt action against members of the sect who were allegedly marrying off girls at a young age and those ordering others not to access medical help.
The event was attended by more than 2 000 people. When the woman narrated the ordeal of the 14-year-old girl who was married off as the fifth wife to a Johanne Marange sect member, the crowd shouted that action should be taken on such sects to stop abuse of minors.
“Chiefs are also abusing children and marrying young girls, as well as members of the Johanne Marange Vapostori sect who claim to have visions through dreams that tell them to marry young girls and minors in the name of religion,” said one woman participant.
“I speak with a heavy heart because my niece from Marange was married off at 14 by her Vapostori grandparents as wife number five to an old man, and her younger brother was also denied medical care for a curable ailment until he died.”
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Some of the participants demanded life imprisonment for rapists, and castigated the judiciary services and police for allegedly taking bribes from rapists and sweeping cases under the carpet.
Some claimed even ministers were raping minors. They said rich people were getting away with rape crimes by paying bribes while poor criminals were the only ones that were being brought to book. The atmosphere turned emotional to the extent police details were deployed at strategic points to control tempers.
The ZRP was represented at the launch by senior female commissioners.
Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza said rape sentences for serious offences ranged between 10 and 20 years per count.
Mujuru said she was not proud to be the patron of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe where some of its members (Johanne Masowe WeChishanu) beat up its leader Johannes Ndanga and police officers.
“How do we enjoy independence when there is sexual abuse in the country? You cannot take a three-year-old and make her a wife. President Robert Mugabe is not happy that every Monday the ZRP brings increasing statistics of children raped by their relatives. Sexual abuse is also happening at churches which are supposed to be the moral watchdogs. This is horrendous, appalling and sheer madness and must stop,” she said.
Muchinguri said she supported First Lady Grace Mugabe’s suggestions that rapists should be beheaded.
“There should be review of rape sentences and I agree with Amai Mugabe that their heads should be cut off. We should incorporate issues of rape and sexual abuse in the education curriculum and increase male involvement in fighting sexual abuse,” said Muchinguri.
President of the Chiefs’ Council Chief Fortune Charumbira said there was no customary practice that allowed early child marriages, rape of minors and incest, adding religious sects which married off young girls were just being exploitative and must be brought to book.
