Child rights organisation wants rapist doctor banned

A YOUTH-LED non-profit organisation in Binga District has embarked on a project to identify vulnerable children and facilitate assistance to meet their different needs including health and education.

Founded in 2020 by Mr Dumisani Mudimba, the Binga Giving Hope Foundation Trust, supports 50 vulnerable children in the Donga community.

The trust has been giving stationary and other school needs, as well as identifying, reporting and tracking cases of child and sexual abuse involving minors.

Recently the trust helped rescue a juvenile who had been undergoing abuse from a stepmother and after unearthing the issue, the child was rescued and is leading a new life at a safe house.

The trust is also helping address a case of rape where a doctor, Dr Jabulani Dube (58) who operates Binga Medical Centre allegedly raped a 13-year-old patient who had consulted at his surgery.

Police confirmed the arrest of Dr Dube who is expected to appear in court on rape charges following the 7 February incident.

The doctor apologised to the girl’s family but Binga Giving Hope Foundation Trust wants him banned from practicing to protect other children.

“We are a youth-led not-for-profit organisation that is supporting children living with disabilities, orphans and other vulnerable children in Binga District. We have been working in the community supporting vulnerable children using our meagre resources and our focus is on giving them stationery and other educational needs, attending to cases of abuse where we do case identification, reporting and tracing progress in the court of law,” said Mr Mudimba.

He said they were driven by the understanding the painful life of not having enough provisions in the community.

“We have been into communities several times attending to distress calls from vulnerable children. We have attended to child abuse cases including a case of a child who was being abused by her stepmother and now the child is growing well at a safe house,” said Mr Mudimba.

“Currently, we are attending to this rape case as we work with authorities with the aim of addressing prevalent cases of child abuse.

“We want such cases to be dealt with so that we don’t disturb children’s futures. This doctor has destroyed the girl’s future as the girl will forever endure prolonged sadness, hopelessness, trauma and probably a drop in her school performance.

“The child will not be able to focus on her school work hence she needs post-stress counselling, which is what as an organisation we are working on with other structures.

“Because of this act, this doctor should stop practicing or the medical centre be closed for lack of professionalism until the case is finalised.

“He has proven to be unfit and unsuitable for working with the community,” said Mr Mudimba.

He said together with national and international organisations that are supporting and empowering children living with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children in Binga they were determined to see justice in the matter.