Young writer documents GBV, child abuse

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
A Gweru-based teenager has written a book touching on domestic violence and child abuse that is experienced by many people who chose to suffer in silence.

Tanatsiwa Christabel Dube (17) said the main character in The Bride of Lucifer’s Son is Portia Sibanda who is in an abusive relationship with her husband Hardin (Lucifer’s son).

The two are then blessed with a son they named Tenderano.

Dube said although Sibanda is in an abusive relationship, she hopes that one day Hardin will change and stop abusing her and their child.

Unfortunately, she said Tenderano, becomes a victim of abuse and neglect and dies.

The book was launched last week at a local restaurant and is available as an eBook on Amazon.

“The Bride of Lucifer’s Son relates to violence and abuse topics that happen every day in the community. In this poignant love affair, Portia Sibanda, a youthful, impassioned boutique manager in the City of Gweru, and her son Tenderano are victims of domestic violence and abuse but they are silently suffering at the hands of the violent and alcoholic, Hardin,” said Dube.

She said Sibanda even goes an extra mile to cover Hardin’s abuse to her family and the community at large.

Apart from her life experience, Dube said the book is inspired by award winning artiste Ammara Brown’s and her song titled Tichichema.

Brown is a Zimbabwean female singer (Afro-pop/RnB), song writer, actress and brand ambassador.
She is the daughter of iconic Zimbabwean singer, the late, Andy Brown.

“A verse from the song goes like, ‘You beat me, is this the legacy you’re leaving? (Why?), You beat me, is this the love you couldn’t teach me? What’s in that beer’s blocking you from the love in here? And how I pray that you will see clearly.’ When I first heard that song, I was in tears as it relates to a story that once happened to me. Abuse is real, domestic violence is real and we must have courage to stand up against it before a life is lost in worst case scenarios,” she said.

Filled with suspense and intrigue, Dube who has written poems and other unpublished writings, said the book is a must-grab.

As the only girl in a family where there are four brothers, Dube said she grew up with pressure to always impress.

“Some people thought I would at one time fail or simply break down but that has not been the case,” she said.

And who is Tanatsiwa Christabel Dube?

“I am 17 years old and my nickname is Tahris. I am a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Defender at SAYWHAT (Students and Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team). I reside in Gweru,” she said.

Dube said the book took her about nine months to complete.

“I took all that because I had to do quite a lot of research to accomplish it. Due to the wording and violent expressions in the book, the book is for readers who are 12 years and above,” she said.
She said she has written a lot of books, from a very young age, but they are yet to be published.

“This is my first publication. I want to aim at creating mobility for positive social change in our communities,” said Dube.

She said gender-based violence and abuse can happen in the home setup but there must be other people willing to come and stop it.

“At home for example when my brother and I are involved in a fight, our neighbour will ‘Let them deal with it,’ the next person would say, ‘It’s their problem.’ Only a few people realise that the more we do this, the more the seed of violence, abuse becomes a plant that will be difficult to get rid of. We should be our brother’s keeper. So there is a need to recognise the spirit of Ubuntu/Unhu,” she said.
Dube said Brown is her source of inspiration.

“From her music to her independence as a woman, I look up to her greatly. She pushes me to be the best version of myself that I can be. My target market is the youth who are the next generation shapers. They say that we should catch them young so that they can inspire others and take our world to greater heights. We are looking at the impacts of domestic violence and child abuse and how they are affecting our society and generations to come,” she said.

Dube said child abuse affects a child mentally, emotionally, physically and socially.

“A child who has been abused usually isolates themselves from others, and they will suffer from this bitterness and anger inside them that forms and causes them to inflict pain on others,” said Dube.
She said researchers have long been aware of the link between domestic violence and child abuse.

Dube said even if children are witnesses to acts of violence and not the intended targets, they can be affected in the same way as children who are physically and sexually abused.

“Since domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour, not a single event, episodes may become more severe and more frequent over time, resulting in an increased likelihood that the children eventually become victims. Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviours, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners. Child abuse is damage to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation. It includes non-accidental physical injury, neglect, sexual molestation, and emotional abuse,” said Dube.