DIDN’T THINK ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE ME
I loved reading and I read anything and everything – books, magazines, pamphlets and even newspapers. My next favourite was writing. The idea of writing a book was not something / ever aspired to do, when I was growing up.
So I set my sights on being a journalist and from the age of 9, that’s all I ever wanted to be. I ate, drank and slept journalism, so when I finally got a job at The Sunday Mail, I was over the moon.
Finally my dream had come true.
I would be in the office by 7:30am and get to my desk ready for work. I was willing to cover any beat, just as long as I got to write.
I was shy and reserved so I went about my work quietly. I would try and learn from whoever I could. The most helpful person was my news editor and he pushed me hard – made me do research, he made me prepare well for interviews and he made me rewrite articles when they weren’t written well. He taught me to be a perfectionist.
I looked up to him, respected and most of all I valued his guidance and support.
So it took me by surprise when he first kissed my neck. I didn’t know what to do.
I respected his talent and competence. He had always treated me well…. until then!!!
I really didn’t know what to do. I was only 18-years-old and I was naive.
So I didn’t do anything and he just carried on – trying to kiss me – always on my neck. Cornering me in corridors and looking at me suggestively. I would find him behind me in the queue at the canteen even though I did not always go at the conventional meal times. I was so uncomfortable around him.
I asked one of my male friends to visit me at work and pretend he was my boyfriend. This stopped him but only for a while.
There was no one I felt I could talk to. What was worse was that I felt ashamed. I knew it was not my fault and I had not done or said anything for him to do this to me, but I still felt ashamed. I dressed appropriately – in fact I always dressed in pants and long tops so he could not use that excuse. I can’t explain why I felt so ashamed. That is why I could not and would not tell anyone.
I also didn’t think anyone would believe me. After all he was my boss and he was so well respected.
I finally left work after 9 months. I left before he could do anything worse.
The writer of this testimony would prefer to remain anonymous
Category:
News
‘Mjolo’ whistleblowers must be jailed-says Chinhoyi residents as crimes of passion escalate
written by Tendai Mutasa
NewZimbabwe.com
‘Mjolo’ whistleblowers must be jailed — say Chinhoyi residents as passion crimes escalate
30th November 2023
By James Muonwa l Mashonaland West Correspondent
STAKEHOLDERS in Chinhoyi have raised concern over the spike in cases of passion killings, attempted murder, assault and domestic violence amid calls to punish those who expose infidelity among couples.
A crime of passion refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone due to a sudden strong impulse such as anger or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime.
Commonly known as mjolo in street lingo, intimate relationships have at times ended tragically after ‘whistleblowers’ would have sold off a cheating partner.
Chinhoyi residents are advocating for the arrest, prosecution and incarceration of “those deliberately aiding and abetting crime knowing fully well the likelihood someone could be killed if the extramarital affair is known.”
During a recent public engagement organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) Mashonaland West Chapter under the theme, “Crimes of passion on the rise; the way forward to curtail a pandemic”, participants were unequivocal that gossipers must be held to account for their actions should “classified” information they leak lead to couples killing each other or perpetrating domestic violence.
“The law should be revisited with a view to punish gossipers who expose infidelity, especially about married people because this has wrecked marriages and given rise to passion crimes.
“The recent case which happened here in Chinhoyi is an example of what can potentially occur when people poke their noses in other people’s private affairs. We gather that someone snitched on the now deceased to her husband that she was having a boyfriend,” said Chinhoyi Ward 4 resident, Aaron Marufu.
Another participant, Judith Chihota weighed in saying, “Yes, a mjolo whistleblower is an accessory to the crime and must face the music just like the killer. People must mind their own business. Cheaters have compelling reasons why they cheat on their partners.”
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) legal officer, Rutendo Mudarikwa cautioned that current legislation does not provide for the arrest, prosecution and incarceration of gossipers, who are, in fact, accessories to the commission of crime.
Mudarikwa told participants an accessory is someone who assists the perpetrator of a crime without taking part in it, and gossipers could fit that description.
A Chinhoyi man, Bwanali Bwanado (51), is currently in prison on routine remand for allegedly killing his wife Chioneso Ephraim aged 41 on suspicion of adultery.
Court heard that on November 7, 2023, at around 2120 hours, accused proceeded to Gadzema where the married couple rented rooms.
The accused person had information his wife was having an extramarital affair with another man and that she was not home at that particular time.
He then ambushed the ‘cheaters’ and saw the pair entering the house before proceeding to the bedroom.
An accused person found the lovebirds sitting on the matrimonial bed before he armed himself with an okapi knife and confronted the two. A scuffle ensued between the two men, but luckily the boyfriend managed to escape.
In a fit of rage, the accused person turned his anger on Ephraim whom he stabbed several times all over her body using the weapon, leading to her death.
In another recent incident, a Gadzema woman was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who had just been released from prison on Presidential Amnesty while several crimes of passion are frequently reported at local police stations.
During the ZUJ interface, a gender-based violence (GBV) survivor, Unity Feremenga (40), gave a harrowing narration of her life experience at the hands of an abusive husband against whom she finally sought a protection order.
“I suffered emotional, physical and psychological trauma. My ex-husband denied me sex for three years, started having numerous girlfriends and became violently abusive.
“At first, as an African woman raised to be subservient to my husband, l would let him beat me up without retaliating. I later became hardened and began to hit back, and our household became a warzone. This hurt our three kids,” said Feremenga.
“The final straw was when he wanted to sell the house that we built together. The verbal and physical violence escalated and realised one of us could die as a result. I then sought a protection order at the courts so he could stop the violence against me. Thereafter, we started living separate lives under one roof.”
Feremenga told participants at the engagement that the toxic marriage she endured triggered hypertension and she now takes three types of medication to manage the condition.
Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) legal officer, Seppy Ndlovu encouraged men and women to exit abusive relationships and to apply for protection orders immediately when red flags start showing.
She said most married people, particularly women, were suffering in silence, and urged them to report different forms of abuse to police.
“It starts as a slap on the face before he kicks you. When these red flags start showing, you have to seek a protection order before you become a statistic of passion crimes. No relationship is worth dying for.”
ZUJ Secretary General, Perfect Hlongwane, called on journalists to expose GBV in all its forms to influence legislators to enact laws aimed at eliminating the societal vice.
The Indaba was part of a public awareness project by ZUJ ahead of commemorations to mark 16 Days of Activism Against GBV.
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By Tafadzwa Kachiko | Apr. 1, 2023
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul NyathiPOLICE yesterday urged Zimbabweans to report funerals to the law enforcement agency when the country goes into election mode to avoid being mistaken for an illegal gathering.
Addressing Harare residents yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said this will save mourners the trouble of having their funeral being mistaken for political gatherings.
“If we are at a funeral during elections, it’s better to report to the officer-in-charge and that will be put on record because some neighbours would lie (that there is a political gathering),” Nyathi said at an all-stakeholders engagement meeting with residents, political parties among other groupings held in the capital.
“There are some people who want to campaign at funerals. Why should you campaign at one’s funeral?
“We also expect politicians not to address supporters at people’s homes. If a neighbour complains, we come.”
Under the country’s laws, it is an offence to hold a gathering without police permission.
The opposition often accuses police of abusing the law to disrupt their gatherings.
Nyathi also pleaded with political parties to shun violence before, during and after elections.
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“Zimbabweans must know that an election is not a war. It’s a contest that comes to an end,” Nyathi said.
“The police are ready for the 2023 harmonised elections and we appeal to the public to report violence. Commissioner-General (Godwin Matanga) has made it clear that we will arrest anyone who engages in any form of political violence.”
He added: “The Commissioner-General has also set up special investigations teams throughout the country to act on reports of criminal acts related to the elections and this includes alleged violence.”
“We have met journalists across the country except in Harare talking about their safety. The police and journalists serve the same constituency, Zimbabweans,” he said.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Perfect Hlongwane said: “We are happy that we are finding a common ground with the police.”
Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent
A Harare man yesterday appeared in court for allegedly raping his own sister at her matrimonial home.
The accused aged 35 appeared before Harare regional Magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje charged with rape.
He was remanded in custody to June 5.
The State alleged that on May 25 at around 8pm the complainant’s husband left the complainant at their matrimonial house as he went to Stodart Complex to have some beers with his friends.
The complainant aged 33 then retired to bed with her two children aged five and six respectively.
She did not lock the door since her husband had gone out.
However, the court heard that at around 10pm whilst she was fast asleep, the complainant was awakened by the accused person who was on top of her whilst heavily pressing his elbow on the complainant’s eyes.
The accused person went on to rape her once.
The complainant asked the accused why he was doing this to his blood sister but he did not reply instead he pulled up his trousers and went out of the house.
The complainant told her husband what had transpired and he advised her to file a police report.
Zimbabwe.
Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has set up a special investigations unit for the forthcoming harmonised elections to deal with election-related crime, including violence, before, during and after the electoral process.
Police have stressed that they will deal with any violence, regardless of where it arises or which supporters start it.
All police officers are being trained to maintain public order with three quarters having completed the course while the final quarter is scheduled to finish by the end of this month.
The unit will be operating across the country and reporting directly to Police General Headquarters.
Speaking during a press discussion on Zimbabwe’s electoral preparedness organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists recently, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they are conducting public order training for their officers throughout the country.
“So far we have trained about 75 percent of the police officers as we prepare for the upcoming elections and we hope that by the end of April 2023, we would have concluded the training exercise.
“The Commissioner-General of Police has also set up a ZRP elections committee to co-ordinate the deployment of police officers at all polling stations to make sure that peace is maintained at these polling stations. I also want to assure the country that we have got enough police officers to deploy at polling stations.”
He said people should desist from violence and maintain peace before, during and after elections.
“The Commissioner-General of Police has set up a special investigations unit to be deployed throughout the country to deal with reports of criminal acts related to elections and this includes alleged violence,” he said.
“So far, as the Zimbabwe Republic Police, we have arrested people from across the board, from all political parties. We want to urge political parties to rein in their supporters. The supporters should promote peace wherever they are. An election is not a war.
“It is a contest which will come to an end, but life will continue, so Zimbabweans must know that. So far the environment in the country is very peaceful and we want to thank Zimbabweans for maintaining peace. The Zimbabwe Republic Police is ready for the upcoming elections and we appeal to the public to report any form of violence.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said perpetrators of violence will be arrested and prosecuted irrespective of political affiliation.
“We have made it clear that we will arrest anyone who engages in any form of violence irrespective of one’s political stature and that is a fact and we will be guided by that,” he said.