Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
THE community of Sukwi Village in Gwanda has alerted authorities about a case of a disabled woman who has been allegedly sexually and physically abused by her brother-in-law for the past six years.
The woman, aged 50, who is mentally challenged, has also been suffering physical abuse at the hands of her brother-in-law and his wife.
She fled from the homestead where she stayed with her in-laws last week after they severely assaulted her.
Sukwi Village health worker, Ms Reason Ndlovu said the woman revealed that she was being sexually abused by her brother-in-law after the community leadership interviewed her. She said the woman also revealed that her brother-in-law and his wife had been physically abusing her. She said the woman also reported that her in-laws sometimes denied her food and they overworked her.
“This woman went to stay with her in-laws after her husband died. We noticed as a community that something was amiss and we engaged her as women. She reported to me that she was being abused by her in-laws. She said her brother-in-law rapes her when his wife isn’t around. She said she has never told anyone as her brother-in-law would threaten her. The woman also reported that her brother-in-law and her sister-in-law assault her.
“They overwork her as she does household chores, works in the fields, works in the garden, looks after their cattle, collects firewood, and fetches water among other chores. She receives grain under the drought relief programme but her in-laws take it away from her. The woman’s first born daughter was customarily married last year but she didn’t get a single cent of the money as her in-laws took charge of the whole process,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu said the woman’s in-laws were taking advantage of her mental state to abuse her. She said they threatened to take her to a mental institution if she reported the abuse to anyone.
Ms Ndlovu said on the day that she fled, the woman’s in-laws accused her of eating mopane worms which were supposed to be for relish. She denied the allegations but they did not believe her and they severely assaulted her. They also allegedly strangled her.
Ms Ndlovu said the woman left her minor daughter at her in-laws’ homestead and they were now denying her access to her child.
Ward 18 councillor Mphathisi Ncube said community members first raised concern about the woman’s situation after they suspected that she was being ill-treated. He said the community leadership had been alerted about the matter and had decided to engage authorities so that the woman could receive assistance and get protection.
He said there was a need for the woman to be housed in a safe environment where she can be protected from her in-laws.
“The situation that this woman is going through is very painful and we have seen it key for us to engage authorities. These people are taking advantage of this woman’s disability to exploit her. This woman is an elderly person and she shouldn’t be experiencing such things as being physically abused. No woman should be sexually violated. As community leaders it’s our duty to ensure that all members of the public are protected from any form of abuse,” he said.
Nkomwa Foundation Trust director Mr Pick Nkomwa said they received a report on the matter. He said they have engaged the Department of Social Welfare on the matter. He said they will also report the matter to the police.
Mr Nkomwa said people with disabilities continue to be victims of sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation. He said some of the perpetrators are family members. — @Dube-Matutu
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