Public hearings on 60 year jail terms for rape

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter
PARLIAMENTARIANS will next week conduct public hearings following a petition by Musasa Project to have a mandatory sentence of between 30 and 60 years for rape, to curb the scourge in Zimbabwe.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Gender Commission show that 22 women are raped daily, one in every 75 minutes.

On average, 646 women are sexually abused monthly, with one in three girls raped or sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18 in Zimbabwe.

Civic organizations have also raised concern over the rising number of rape cases which was worsened by Covid-19 induced lockdowns since last year.

Women rights organizations have advocated those stiffer penalties be given to perpetrators to deter potential rapists from abusing women.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprises received the petition in May this year and has since resolved to conduct public consultations.

In a statement, the committee said hearings will be conducted in Beitbridge, Bulawayo, Chiredzi, Gokwe, Kariba, Masvingo Central, Mutare Central, and Nkayi before any amendments may be made.

“The objective of these public consultations are to gather the views of the public regarding the introduction of the minimum mandatory sentence on rape and other sexual crimes. We are also seeking the input of the people on the specific time frame that can be considered as the mandatory sentence for rape and sexual crimes,” read the statement.

On Monday the first team will be at Mahombekombe Hall in Kariba, Mashonaland West and on Tuesday in will be in Gokwe, Midlands Province, before proceeding to Pelandaba Hall in Bulawayo on Wednesday.

On Thursday the same team will be in Nkayi.

Another team will visit Beit-bridge AFM City Assembly Church on Monday and then proceed to Chilonga Hall in Chiredzi on Tuesday.

The second team will be at Masvingo Civic Centre on Wednesday and then proceed to Mutare Mutare Chikanga Hall on Thursday.
Musasa advocacy and communications officer Ms Rotina Mafume-Musara said the move by Parliament was welcome and a major step towards safeguarding the rights of women and girls in Zimbabwe.

“As Musasa we encourage the women and youths to participate. We hope this process will be as inclusive as possible.

The objective of the public consultation is to gather the views of the public regarding the introduction of the minimum mandatory sentence of rape and other sexual crimes; as well as to seek the input of the people on the specific timeframe that can be considered as the mandatory sentence for rape and sexual crimes,” she said.

Ms Mafume-Musara said the sentences imposed by magistrates were mostly discretionary and varied with each presiding officer, even when the circumstances were the same.

“We also have a provision where that rape sentence can take life imprisonment, but we haven’t seen where it has been effected, but it says in worst case scenario. The argument then will be in case of rape which is the worst-case scenario and which one is not because rape affects emotionally, physically, economically, socially and affects the whole person, a whole life is destroyed.

If we have a minimum sentence on cattle theft where it’s nine years. What is the cost of human life over wild animals, over the cost of cattle, so we need to prioritize this because this is really an emergency,” she said.

Local activist Ms Lindile Ndebele said in addition to public hearings, Zimbabwean communities needed a lot of awareness on rape.

She said awareness will also equip the affected with knowledge on how and where to get help as many rape cases go unreported.

“When we talk about rape, we are looking at the affected victim and how does the person feel, it is not a communal thing. Rape has a lot of effects some suffer mentally, and there are sexually transmitted diseases involved hence we cannot treat rape as a communal issue,” she said.

“We also have women also sacrifice their daughters when they are raped by their fathers or relatives. We have had incidents where women have chosen to sustain marriages or relationships and conceal rape which is working against the affected woman or girl.”

Ms Ndebele there is a need for people to believe in the judiciary system so that they are free to report sexual abuses.

“Our judiciary system, especially our police, is letting us down and as long as people do not report we will continue having many women being abused. In the awareness creation we will also reach to older women who are raped but are too ashamed to come out and admit they are victims of sexual assault.” –@thamamoe