Online Reporter
How many more women must die before Zimbabwe declares war on gender-based violence with the seriousness it deserves?
How many more children must watch their mothers being butchered before society finally says, “Enough is enough”?
Bulawayo woke up horrified after learning of the murder of Memory Makathini, who police say was hacked to death with an axe by her husband in front of their children. If the allegations are proven in court, then this was not simply murder. It was an act of unimaginable cruelty that has left innocent children carrying scars no child should ever bear.
Imagine switching on a bedroom light only to find your mother’s lifeless body lying on the floor with an axe lodged in her head.
That image will haunt those children forever.
Sadly, this horror comes as Zimbabweans are still reeling from another tragedy that has captured international attention. In the
United Kingdom, the deaths of Nothando “Nothabo” Moyo and her two young daughters have left communities on two continents grieving. Her husband, Ndodana Tshuma, has since appeared in court facing charges linked to the murders, a case that continues to attract widespread attention as investigations unfold.
Different countries. Different families. The same nightmare.
Women are dying. Children are being orphaned. Families are being destroyed.
Enough!
There is no excuse for gender-based violence. Not jealousy. Not unemployment. Not alcohol. Not infidelity. Not anger. Nothing justifies raising a hand, let alone an axe, against another human being.
Real men do not solve problems through violence. They walk away. They seek counselling. They report disputes. They ask for help. Violence is not strength. It is cowardice.
We also urge neighbours, relatives, churches and communities to stop dismissing domestic violence as “family issues”. Many victims cry for help long before they are killed. We must listen before another funeral replaces another plea for help.
The law, too, must send a powerful message. Those who commit such barbaric acts deserve swift justice. Every successful prosecution tells would-be offenders that Zimbabwe will not tolerate violence against women and children.
As police continue investigating the Nkulumane case, our thoughts remain with the traumatised children who have lost the person who loved them most. They will need more than sympathy. They will need counselling, protection and unwavering community support.
Gender-based violence is not a private matter.
It is a national crisis.
If we fail to confront it today, tomorrow’s headlines will carry another grieving family, another shattered childhood and another coffin.
Zimbabwe cannot keep burying its mothers.
