Gender violence: Women becoming aggressive?

Shame Isaki
DESPITE spirited efforts by different stakeholders to curb gender-based violence in the country, it seems all these efforts are hitting a brick wall if recent reports in different sections of the Press are anything to go by.  
What is striking about the incidences of violence reported is the diversity in terms of the motive or cause.  Given such a wide variety of causes of violence between men and women it becomes difficult to try and monitor or at least take preventive action because it is now a case of anything can happen anytime with the least expected of reasons being given as cause for such grievous actions.

The causes range from simple domestic misunderstanding, economic, religious, witchcraft suspicion and allegations linked to mental instability.

Last week’s edition of our favourite weekly, The Manica Post, carried about two if not more stories of gender-based violence.  In one of its reports a male adult Richard Gwishiri (28) is alleged to have been struck with a pot by his wife Betty Moyana (20) for staying out late at Prophet Walter Magaya’s church crusade.  While the church issue has been given as the cause of this sad incident it seems this couple already had some challenges given the counter-accusations reported.

Gwishiri suffered a deep cut on his head. Unlike in most cases where women are always on the receiving end, this time it was a man who had to endure the vicious attack of a woman, the fairer sex. We wonder if it is still the fairer sex these days.  This is not the only one.

Another case involving a male adult, one Israel Chiwanga, who bashed his wife right in church was reported and the extent of the violence is disturbing because this guy is reported to have picked up a piece of brick and used it to attack his wife the reason being she had refused to obey his order to go back home.

The woman, Raviro Matonga, wanted to be at church while the husband wanted her home and it is almost a similar case to the above one of religion-based violence, only gender roles were reversed.

Now pastors may need to help us solve this one because disputes involving couples as a result of disagreements on how to balance church activities and family welfare are on the increase and many are not reported.  Some women are always doing ‘church’ business while neglecting their families and some men are always ‘praying’  in the mountains without engaging in any form of work to cater for their families.

Given such circumstances it is obvious that conflict is unavoidable.  One shocking incident of gender-based violence was reported in The Herald of September 11, 2014.  Following a dispute over bus fare a woman, Annah Chipfiko (26) and her boyfriend allegedly teamed up to beat up a conductor who then fled from the scene.  They turned their anger on the driver and this woman was enraged to the extent of biting and pulling off Lovejoy Mutasa’s private parts.  He lost his testicles and is reportedly in critical condition in hospital.

Now tell me, over the years the gender discussion has been biased towards women but what do we say about such levels of violence perpetrated by a woman against a man and for what reason really? It is surprising that of all the places a person can attack, this woman chose to sink her teeth into someone’s ‘central processing unit’ thereby permanently incapacitating him even if he may then regain his fitness. The current record holder for biting,

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, will turn green with envy if he is to hear that now there is a female challenger who has gone one step further.

I applaud the presiding magistrate, Mr Milton Serima, who denied the accused bail and asked her to apply for one at the High Court.  The courts need to be firm really on these cases because it is now getting out of hand.

The last case for today was reported in The Sunday Mail of September 7, 2014.  One Edson Tadzimirwa travelled all the way from South Africa where he worked at a farm to Chinhoyi to kill his wife, Mercy Katemanyoka (18).  He stabbed her eight times using a knife which he later used to cut his own throat when he was cornered by the police and villagers.

The reasons for this gruesome murder and suicide were the usual infidelity, family interference and witchcraft allegations.  Do we really have to go to this extent brothers and sisters?  Can’t we resolve our differences amicably or if things are not working between couples why can’t people just separate without resorting to hurting each other or worse killing each other?

• Shame Isaki is a socio-political commentator, business consultant and preacher. For feedback, call 020-68818/ 0773 018 662 or e-mail: [email protected].