March 13: The unforgettable horror night

Sergeants Busani Moyo and Pretty Rushwaya and the police force in general.
For the two officers, who were constables then, a close shave with death when a petrol bomb was thrown in their room by suspected MDC-T activists it was real life horror when the party engaged in a terror spree against state institutions.
The day marked for the Zimbabwe Republic Police a sad chapter in the delivery of its duties to serve and protect.
Unfortunately, violence against the force has reared its ugly head again with the recent murder of Inspector Petros Mutedza in Glen View.
The Herald this week caught up with Sergeants Moyo and Rushwaya and they said it was disheartening to note that some unscrupulous elements should continue to direct violence against the police.
“The police are here to protect and serve. It hurts when you are attacked,” said Sgt Rushwaya.
“It affects your family and the organisation in general,” she added.
On the fateful day, the women had come back home from work, hopefully to continue serving their country on the morrow.
But in the middle of the night, they had a rude, fiery awakening when a petrol bomb was thrown in their room, an experience that was going to change their lives forever.
“At around 1am I appeared to have a dream in which a bright fire was in burning brightly in front of me,” recalls Sgt Moyo.
“I vaguely realised the house was on fire and as if in a trance I scrambled to the door.
“I was on fire and hurting all over and I recall being dragged outside. From then on I saw nothing and I was to see myself in hospital.”
Sgt Moyo sustained grievous burns on the face, hands and shoulders that were to keep her in hospital for the next seven months; five at Parirenyatwa Hospital and the remainder at a police hospital in Harare.
Sgt Rushwaya sustained burns on the face and hands, earning her three months at Parirenyatwa and two weeks at the police facility.
She broke down as she narrated her ordeal.
According to ZRP medical director Dr Annamore Jamu the women sustained first, second and third degree burns and had to undergo painful treatment and corrective procedures.
The experience was traumatic for the duo, Dr Jamu said, and now had to grapple with post-traumatic stress disorders.
Explained Dr Jamu: “First degree burns are when the skin is taken off and they are painful as nerves are exposed.
“Second degree burns are deeper and the third degree burns are deepest and they leave muscles and bones exposed.
“The two women had mixed burns and in some parts skin from their thighs and abdomen had to be taken off and grafted onto seriously burnt areas.
“You are scarred for life. When burns heal they form keloids and these itch and swell and are uncomfortable.
“Some parts tend to “burn” because the nerve structure would have been disturbed and you also feel pain due to the over growth of the skin.”
Dr Jamu said the post-traumatic stress syndrome that the women now had to live with meant that they had been scarred emotionally.
“It is characterised by anxiety disorder, psychological and physical consequences of having been exposed to stressful conditions.
“Recovering from traumatic conditions is a process and depends on the duration of pain and the individuals’ coping ability,” noted Dr Jamu.
She reported that the two women had a difficult time during their treatment.
She said: “Treatment of burns is extremely painful and it involves the burns being scrapped with salt to prevent them from going septic.
“The experience was as painful as it was degrading since they had to be always naked and use the bed pan. This constitutes the injuria they suffered.
“Some things cannot be fixed so we keep supporting them psychologically and medically.
“They suffer from flashbacks, insomnia, and have so many questions unanswered. It is not easy to manage.”
The women have undergone plastic surgery, among other corrective measures which were not helped by the state of the economy.
“Because of sanctions (imposed on Zimbabwe by Western nations) we couldn’t have some procedures on time.
“At one point we did not have tulle gra for the treatment of their burns,” recalled Dr Jamu.
In order to make life easier for the two officers, the force has had to transfer them to departments where they wear civilian clothes that provide some cover to the scars.
However, for Sgt Moyo, whose burns were rated 26 percent, the considerate step is too little, too late.
She said: “My seven-year old son who knew me without these scars always asks me what happened to me and each time I have to explain to him. It is painful to relive the pain once again.”
She is stoic by any measure and believes that she only has God to thank for her life.
Sgt Moyo worships at Christ Embassy church.
Sgt Rushwaya might share the same Divine belief, but she sometimes takes it personal.
During the interview with The Herald, she broke down when she narrated her ordeal.
When she collected herself she said: “It happened years ago but to me it seems like yesterday or it is still happening.
“The wounds might heal but deep inside it never really heals. When I look at these scars it reminds me of that day.”
[email protected]