The video went viral on social media networks last week
which led to a public outcry with many demanding that the two men be identified
and arrested.
The two were identified as Courcious Tshuma and Martin
Moyo, both 18 years old, of Mazwaligwe Village in Masendu under Chief Masendu.
They appeared before Plumtree magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda
where they pleaded guilty to physical abuse and were each sentenced to an
effective one month in prison.
In the 1 minute 37 seconds video, the two men are both
holding the helpless young girl by her hands and taking turns to mercilessly
thrash her.
At one time the young girl pleads with the two men to allow
her to relieve herself but they both refused to let her go and continued
beating her up.
It is not yet clear who was shooting the video which ends
abruptly while the two are still assaulting the girl.
One of the men is said to be married and has a child, even
though he was accusing the young girl of double-crossing him. The other is said
to be hailing from Lupane and is a herdsman in the area.
A Bulawayo-based lawyer Mr Emmanuel Mlalazi, who was
instrumental in tracing the two men, said more needs to be done to change the
culture of girl child abuse in rural areas.
“Those are the realities that we grew up with. I grew up in
the 1990s and it was happening and it is sad that we still see this culture
even now.
“What are we doing as the community to end this culture
because some of these things are beyond the Government? If we see those things
happening and we do not take any stance we are also condoning that and not
doing any favours to the rural girl child,” he said
Mr Mlalazi said he was disturbed by the video and took it
upon himself to help identify the two men by sharing the information on various
WhatsApp groups which led to a breakthrough.
He hailed the Officer Commanding Bulilima and Mangwe
districts Superintendent Stephen Mutema for acting with speed after receiving
the information which led to the arrests.
“I do not know the charges that were preferred against the
two but I would have loved them to also face kidnapping charges on top of
aggravated assault and since the girl is below 16, they could add statutory
rape. If the two boys are also young, the law should also consider that for a
corrective justice system,” said Mr Mlalazi.
He challenged non-governmental organisations to take such
issues seriously instead of all focusing on food provision in rural
communities.
Mr Mlalazi said various stakeholders need to come together in support of the 15-year-old girl who is traumatised by what happened to her.
The young girl is said to be staying with her grandmother
while the whereabouts of her parents could not be established.
The chairperson of the Primary and Secondary Education
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga called
for the speedy enactment of the cyber law bill which penalises people who share
or record such videos.
“The police must arrest people who record such videos
because your responsibility is to report to police when you see something like
that. By circulating it on social media you are not doing any favour to the
victim of that violence,” she said.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said violence is unlawful and
urged married partners caught up in adultery storms to take the civil route
instead of resorting to violence. She said it was sad that society has
destroyed all systems that must facilitate mediation.
“What kind of a society are we that in everything we must
resort to violence? If it’s a political disagreement its violence, if people
have cheated each other out of money it’s violence, if married couples have a
problem, it’s violence. The violence has become endemic and we need to deal
with it,” she said. Chronicle
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