adminCharles Dube
CULTURE or tradition is responsible for all the abuse women are subjected to in this novel. Fatima, Sofia’s mother, remains faithful to her husband Joseph Takundwa despite all the ill-treatment, verbal and physical abuse she suffers from him. Joseph Takundwa impressed Fatima with empty talk from the beginning of their romance.
When Joseph proposed she found it difficult to say “No”. Then we get an insight into tradition. Just like any other well-bred rural girl, Fatima says she took time to say “Yes”. She was, however, disturbed by his lack of respect for her whenever he got drunk. She thought he would grow out of the habit when they got married. Cultural beliefs lead to abuse. Fatima says her mother had taught her that sometimes marriage helps weed out a lot of bad habits in men.
This implies that one has to endure torments in marriage in the hope that the partner would change. Many have suffered in the vain hope for better things. Joseph Takundwa did not relent in terrorising his family. The good part about advice to Fatima from her mother is that she had also warned her that sometimes marriage helps bring to the surface some negative aspects of manhood. “Some men never grow!” she concluded.
Joseph Takundwa thinks money can buy love. He breaks tradition and gets into Fatima’s home drunk. When Fatima tries to dismiss him, he declines telling her: “No, not before I talk to your mother. I want to give her a lot of money. I want to show your mother that I am a special husband. I have got a lot of money.” Fatima should have sensed trouble from such uncouth behaviour. Fatima says to Joseph Takundwa: “This is beer talking through your mouth!” But why fall for him when she recognises the vanity of his talk? These are the ironies of life where somebody realises the faults of something but go on to fall for them.
When Joseph Takundwa insists that he wanted to talk to Fatima’s mother, she reminds him of tradition. She tells him that it is not allowed. He was not allowed to talk to her mother before the Kusungira ceremony is performed. Otherwise he would break her back if he talked to her before that ceremony was performed. Takundwa breaks into a tirade: “Those old and useless customs must be thrown out. They are dead; therefore they should be buried and be forgotten about! We must be moving with the changing times.
“Why should I be so frightened of your mother; after all she will soon be my mother-in-law? In certain countries where we find really educated people, a mother-in-law and a son-in-law can swim in the same river absolutely naked, just like we used to do when we were little boys herding goats. Yet here we are told to run away and hide somewhere where your mother-in-law will never see you. It’s all because of lack of education, lack of civilisation, that’s why!”
Joseph Takundwa is reading from the same script as his accomplice Nyati. When Nyati had taken Sofia to the Sheraton Hotel, she complained about the tasteless food they ate from hotels and asked if they did not cook sadza there. That question drew shock from Nyati who said that was the last thing 0one would find served there. He uses white people as standards of highness. He says: “This is a high class hotel. If they make the mistake of serving sadza here then standards will go down and every Rwafa and Marwei will start coming here. Then the high class clientele like us will stop coming here.”
Joseph Takundwa wants tradition to be broken so as to get what he wants. He grabs Fatima and carries her to the bush where he rapes her. Likewise Nyati took Sofia to high class hotels and eventually raped her. After Sofia had been raped by Nyati as she walked all the way to Mufakose Township, she made up her mind to report the matter to the police. Traditional influence comes into play. She makes a mistake of informing her mother first that she had been raped before reporting to the police.
She was following traditional protocol where one reports an issue to the elders before anybody else. Today a case of rape should be reported immediately. Sofia was sure then that Nyati would rot in jail. However, her mother proves unhelpful. Sofia says: “I must report the matter to the police! I want him to be punished for what he did to me. He must go to jail.” Instead of taking the matter to the police immediately her mother suggests they talk to her father first. Culturally or traditionally a woman cannot act on a matter without the consent of her husband.
How will talking to the father help in such a dire situation? Nyati looks stunned and gets to dreamland asking whether it is about Tabitha, his daughter they killed with Nyati. When his wife tells him that Nyati raped Sofia he says he cannot believe it. He is right he cannot believe it because they are partners in crime with Nyati. Joseph Takundwa blackmails his wife Fatima and his daughter Sofia discouraging them from going to report the case to the police.
Joseph Takundwa says: “Now, let me tell you something for nothing you two. You are about to make the biggest mistake that you have ever made. If you want me to die today, right now, then go ahead and report to the police. I will hang myself today if that is what you want to happen?” But his wife is perplexed as to why he should kill himself about this matter asking what Nyati’s problems have got to do with him.
Takundwa does not see the gravity of Nyati’s rape case. Remember we said Joseph Takundwa is materialistic. He threatens his wife and child saying if they want him to die and remain behind enjoying his money; they could go ahead and make a report. He says Nyati has given them a lot of help. Even the food they eat comes from Nyati. The tuck shop they see standing was supported by Nyati. His wife insists that Nyati raped Sofia, their daughter. Takundwa claims there are other ways of handling the matter.
Fatima and Sofia are threatened into silence. Joseph Takundwa says if they go to the police, they should remember to take everything of theirs together with them. Never come back. Never enter his house again. But Sofia has been raped, yet the perpetrator is protected by the abusive husband and father. Women are powerless in the presence of men. Fatima and Sofia had every right to report Nyati to the police and have him arrested but they are arm twisted by Takundwa and the case remains unreported.
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