Chronicle Editor
Stephen Mpofu
The Zimbabwe Republic Police said earlier this week that they were looking for 4 500 criminals for questioning on charges of attacks on women and children.
The police did not say exactly what the attacks involved were but judging from regular reports by them and the general public, the crimes must include sexual attacks on both women and young girls as well as wife-bashing by husbands.
But what does this staggering crime statistic which no doubt curdles the blood of law-abiding Zimbabweans mean to us (yes, you and me)?
It suggests that there are probably many more outlaws of the same or other cults hibernating in a society some of whose urban and rural communities nurture laissez faire attitudes towards law-breakers in their midst.
In the circumstances, the criminally inclined break the laws of the land with impunity and then worm their way through loopholes in self-isolationist mentalities of those members of the public that say “mind your own business”.
If that were not the case, offenders would be apprehended by members of the public soon after the criminals attack their targets.
The heart-rending discourse above does suggest to any peace and law-abiding Zimbabwean an urgent and imperative thorough going attitudinal revolution by the totality of our society coupled with the promulgation of stiff laws against women-bashers, their husbands included and girl-child sexual-molesters.
In brief, attackers of women and particularly young girls should be rendered neutral through castration, whether this punishment is viewed by some as being out of step with so-called civilised standards in post-modernity.
This communicologist-cum sociologist-cum novelist feels very strongly that the powers that be should urgently consider a massive socialisation programme for traditional leaders to use the powers invested in them to end the rot in their communities.
For instance, the practice where parents give away a young girl in marriage as repayment or compensation for wrongs done to men in other families should be regarded as an attack on or violation of the girl’s rights to grow and choose the right man for her to marry.
Chiefs must also intervene in cases where traditional leaders prescribe to men sexual intercourse with young girls as payment or compensation for wrongs done to members of another family as that practice is primitive and so an anathema.
On the whole, men should be grateful to God for creating Eve, the prototype of women today as Adam’s helper; otherwise without the female species there would be no existence today for men, some of whom navigate their space with an articulated swagger and harass members of the other sex who bear them in their womb for nine months and suffer in labour to bring them into this world.
Online Reporter