Guns replace roses

Tafadzwa Zimoyo and Lloyd Gumbo Lifestyle Writers
When the rock music group, “Guns and Roses”, was assembled in Los Angeles, California, in the United States in 1985, they probably did not have in mind the kind of metaphorical meaning that the name carried.Today, the phrase has evolved to mean a lot of things, including the brash and abrupt character of most men as contrasted to the tender and lovely nature of many women.

Of late, the phrase “guns and roses” has assumed a new meaning in Zimbabwe, if one closely follows the bloody trend of couples who are committing murder and suicide with the barrel of the gun following cases of infidelity, extra-marital affairs and deception.

“We think the issue of having a gun at home is now something that should be dealt with closely. Couples should seek help if they are in an argument. We have seen many visiting our offices for counselling especially on having a gun,” said a lady identified as Mandy, a psychologist in the CBD.

Well, hardly a day passes without the mainstream media reporting about cases of an aggrieved person who was being cheated on, shooting and killing or injuring their partners or lover’s partners after catching them in a compromising position.

Just recently, The Herald carried the story of prominent Harare businessman Irvine Mereki who shot dead his long-time girlfriend Claris Chopamba, before turning the gun on himself.

It is believed that the shooting incident stemmed from a domestic dispute the couple had at Claris’ s home in Avondale.
In the 1990s wrestler Oliver Tengende, shot his wife dead and then proceeded to shoot his in-laws at a house in Marlborough. Tengende then drove to a church in Mufakose and shot himself dead

In South Africa, earlier this year, Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, also shot to death his long-time girlfriend, later defending himself in court that he mistook her for an intruder.

Whether some of the defences that these people give to vindicate themselves from the crime are credible is still for courts to decide, but the question that most people are always asking is: “What motivates them to shoot their partners?”

Why are couples becoming trigger-happy and no longer flinch at the idea of using firearms against their partners or their lovers?
Is the gun culture taking root in Zimbabwe now that most people own a firearm.

Does it also mean that, gone are the days when guns were strictly a defence weapon against foes or intruders or for hunting?
Sadly, the gun has been so abused that it is now used to mete out instant justice by those who feel aggrieved. In some ways the violence has always been there. But when your weapon is a fist then the injuries are usually treatable. A gunshot is usually fatal.

The legal way of sorting out a totally failed relationship is to cut loose. If unmarried a couple just need to split. If married then a divorce is not that expensive, and infidelity is a definite symptom of what our “no-fault” divorce law sees as a failed marriage. In most divorces the two lawyers sort everything out and the judge just has to read the papers and confirm the split.

Shepherd Makoni of Harare said the mere fact of discovering that your wife is cheating on you with someone drives some people to act before they think.

“It is very painful to find your wife of many years in bed with someone else. Before you think logically, the retaliation instinct inside you reacts and before you know it you would have committed a crime.

“However, I encourage people to control themselves when they discover such an unfortunate thing because they end going to jail or even taking their own live in the process.

“After all, life should go on after that discovery,” he said.
He urged couples to respect their marriage vows by remaining faithful to one another.

“Faith and trust are the key ingredients that keep a marriage intact. When you feel that you are not getting enough attention from your partner, talk to them in a way that is diplomatic, caring and loving. If you feel the attention you are getting is unsatisfactory, talk and put your house in order. Infidelity or cheating is not the solution because it leads to violence and murder,” Makoni said.

Sometimes, a domestic issue could have been simmering between a couple and it takes just one incident to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, hence the need for couples to seek counsel from relatives, friends or professionals to avert disaster.

There are instances when one of the pair is in the habit of always threatening to take the life of the other, and when this idea becomes entrenched in one’s mind, it becomes something easy to undertake because it has been taking shape and form in the mind for a long time.

How often have we heard someone threatening his wife thus, “One day I will go to prison after I have murdered you”?
One thing that boggles the mind is that ever more people in Zimbabwe are now (proud?) owners of a gun which they keep in their homes or carry with them when go about their everyday errands.

While in the past the common trend was that such guns were for defensive purposes owing to the increased number of armed robbers and carjackers who were so daring that they used movie-style tactics in their dirty work, nowadays the tables have turned.

Have an altercation in some parts of town and a firearm is bound to be discharged.
This then gives rise to another question: “Who in Zimbabwe is fit to own a firearm and what are the requirements to possess one?”

According to one firearms dealer in Harare who spoke on condition of anonymity, said anyone with their money can purchase a gun, but it takes serious vetting from the police for one to go through the whole process of owning it and acquiring a firearms licence. “Our guns range from US$200 upwards, and these range from pistols to revolvers. However, you have to apply to Morris Depot’s CID to be vetted for a licence,” he said.

However, we think that there must be more than just purchasing and getting a licence for gun.
“First of all, it should be sensible for a person’s mental state and capacity to assessed because in society, we have those who just explode into total violence or total despair under stress. Such people should never be allowed to own a firearm because putting a gun in the hands of someone is temperamental, easily angered or given to temper tantrums, is akin to arming a mad man.”

This is where psychologists come in and they should play their part and give credible findings and results regarding the mental soundness and sanity of the prospective gun owners.

It should also be compulsory for these owners to have basic training in the use and handling of firearms and also hammer into their minds that a gun is not for settling marital or domestic issues, but rather, it is for defensive purposes.

Refresher courses should be constantly carried out to inculcate in these people’s minds that having guns in their homes does not mean that they are now above the law. They are therefore at liberty to be trigger-happy an go about discharging firearms to settle their own scores.

In the case of infidelity, divorce is an option and that is the job of the courts and the immediate and close relatives.
Surprisingly, the statistics of cases of passion killings are dominating the courts, and  continue to rise.

According to data from office of the Registrar of the High Court there is an increase of 60 percent from last year June.