Chronicle Editor
WE condemn in the strongest sense the violence unleashed on a family from Bubi, Matabeleland North province by an alleged abusive husband who also torched seven huts, leaving the family destitute.
Last Tuesday, Mncedisi Khumalo, who is said to have been neglecting his family, went berserk attacking his wife Ms Lungile Nzima for approaching their in-laws to ask for food.
Khumalo, who has since been arrested and appeared in court, also attacked his mother-in-law aged 79 and her sister (80) with a machete.
Domestic violence, or any form of violence for that matter, should have no place in society and we commend the police for apprehending the suspect.
According to the United Nations, domestic abuse, also called “domestic violence” or “intimate partner violence”, can be defined as a pattern of behaviour in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.
This, the UN says, includes any behaviours that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone.
“Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together or dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels,” says the UN.
The organisation said domestic violence can take various forms, and most often, it combines several types of violence, creating depression, injuries and illness.
“Moreover, domestic violence results in broader social and economic costs, including those of services to treat and support abused women and bring perpetrators to justice, aside from lost employment and productivity, undermining women’s capabilities, and even slowing down economic growth,” said UN.
A report published in 2018 titled, “Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates” by different components of the United Nations system noted that, 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence globally.
“The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women makes a very concrete call to ‘Promote research, collect data and compile statistics, especially concerning domestic violence.’ This is one of the critical research areas for institutions of higher education around the world involved in gender studies and the overall promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights,” said the UN.
We continue to urge members of the public to find peaceful means to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence.
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