Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
RISING cases of domestic violence have caught the attention of Parliament, with Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Development Cde Getrude Mutandi calling for urgent and proactive intervention to curb the cases.
Raising a point of national interest during Thursday’s National Assembly sitting, Cde Mutandi said recent tragedies had underscored the urgency of the situation.
She cited the deaths of Engineer Martin Muduva and his wife Lyliosa Chirara and that of a Glen View couple Nyasha Mhungu and his wife, Olga Muzhingi in Harare as examples of how domestic violence cases were increasing.
“The effects are no longer hidden, they are visible and in some cases deadly. We can no longer afford to look away. The evidence is clear,” she said.”
Cde Mutandi said the 2023-2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey showed that 27 percent of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical violence, while nine percent had experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.
She said the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) statistics demonstrated the widespread nature of violence, while the tragic cases showed how fatal it could become.
“These are not merely statistics. Behind every number is a person, a family and in many cases, children who are left to live with the trauma,” she said.
“This is not a distant reality. Recent tragedies underscore the urgency of the situation.”
Cde Mutandi urged authorities to invoke laws, policies and institutions to address the challenge.
She said the Domestic Violence Act provided protection and relief to victims, while the National Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence 2023-2030 prioritised prevention, early identification, accessible services, coordination and adequate resources.
“The question, therefore, is whether we are investing sufficiently in making these frameworks work where they matter most,” she said.
“In our communities, before violence reaches its most devastating point, punishment remains necessary where a crime has been committed.
“However, we should be more proactive rather than reactive. By the time a case involving serious violence or homicide reaches the criminal justice system, an opportunity to prevent the harm may already have been lost.”
Cde Mutandi urged the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, as well as the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, to prioritise resources for community-based prevention, counselling and effective referral systems.
“To achieve this, we should strengthen the capacity of first responders at community level,” Cde Mutandi said.
“Traditional and religious leaders, health workers and community care workers are often among the first to notice warning signs of abuse. They should be equipped with basic training to identify risks, intervene early where appropriate and refer individuals or families to counselling, psychosocial support and legal services.
“Prevention should start where violence starts, in the home and in the community. The logic is simple but critical. A prevented dispute is far less costly than one that escalates to the point of prosecution. When we prevent one dispute from becoming a death, we save a family from destitution, the health system from costly emergency care, the police from a lengthy investigation, the courts from a trial and the economy from losing a productive citizen.
“It is better to invest a little now in prevention than to pay a much higher price later for the effects of violence. I, therefore, urge this House to give greater attention to prevention, early intervention and the protection of life.”
