Ms Sibanda who wept uncontrollably as she narrated her
daughter’s ordeal, said she tried to revive Sikhulile without luck. Her
daughter’s last words were “mama, mama umntwanami” (mother, mother my child)
apparently referring to her eight-month-old baby.
Sikhulile from Lumene area in Gwanda District was
impregnated last year in April by 27-year-old Munashe Ncube and she was 13
years old.
Ncube eloped with Sikhulile early last year when the girl
was supposed to start Form One.
Her family reported her disappearance only to learn that
Sikhulile and Ncube had been found in Inyathi area after she had given birth.
Sikhulile’s maternal grandfather, Mr Stanley Ngwenya who
was staying with the teenager said she disappeared from home in January last
year.
After giving birth Sikhulile developed a heart problem and
suffered damage to her internal organs as a result of prolonged labour.
She was hospitalised on several occasions up until she died
in the early hours of September 9 in South Africa where she was living under
the care of her mother.
She was buried last weekend at her mother’s homestead in
Lumene Village.
“We discovered that Sikhulile was seeing this man when she
was 12 years old and we reprimanded her.
“We even took her for a medical examination at Stanmore
Clinic to check whether she was pregnant and the results came out negative,”
said Mr Ngwenya.
“A few weeks later
we discovered that she was missing, and had taken with her some of her clothes.
We went to the homestead where this man used to work as a herdsman near our
homestead and we learnt that he had also disappeared.”
Mr Ngwenya said they reported the matter to the police.
“Our neighbours who had employed Ncube didn’t have his
particulars hence we didn’t even know where to start looking for him,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya said they received a phone call from some
community members in Inyathi and the police from the area informing them that
his granddaughter was critically ill.
He said his wife and other family members rushed there only
to learn that Sikhulile had fallen pregnant and given birth without her
family’s knowledge.
Mr Ngwenya said while in Inyathi, Sikhulile and Ncube were
staying with Ncube’s aunt.
“My granddaughter
was in good health and she had a promising future. She was actually doing well in
school until this man messed up her life. The actions of this man have cost my
granddaughter her life,” he said.
“To make it worse, after she gave birth Ncube’s relatives
didn’t even bother to tell us and we had to hear from the neighbours about her
illness, which they also kept as a secret.”
Ncube was arrested on April 20 in Inyathi. He appeared at
the Gwanda Regional Court and was convicted of rape in July and sentenced to 14
years in jail of which four years were conditionally suspended for five years.
Ncube is serving his jail term at Khami Prison.
Sikhulile’s maternal grandmother, Ms Patricia Tshuma said
when she arrived in Inyathi in April her granddaughter’s stomach and feet were
swollen.
Ms Zandile Sibanda shows the grave of her late daughter,
Sikhulile Sibanda
She said Sikhulile could hardly stand or walk. Ms Tshuma
said she discovered that Ncube had influenced Sikhulile to lie about her age to
health officials in Inyathi and pretended to be 18.
She said Sikhulile’s medical condition deteriorated after
she gave birth and this caught the attention of neighbours who then alerted the
police.
“Sikhulile was ferried to Mpilo Central Hospital where she
received treatment. She was in a bad state and couldn’t even breastfeed her
baby hence I had to take the baby with me. They told us that she had a heart
problem, and also suffered some internal injuries due to prolonged labour,”
said Ms Tshuma.
“She was admitted to the hospital for some weeks and her
condition improved and she was discharged. Her condition again deteriorated and
she was admitted to the Gwanda Provincial Hospital and later referred to Mpilo
Central Hospital.”
Sikhulile was later discharged and returned home. Her
mother who is based in South Africa took her to the neighbouring country for
further treatment and monitoring.
Ms Sibanda said Sikhulile arrived in South Africa on August
3 and two days later she took her to Thembisa Hospital in Johannesburg where
she was admitted for about three weeks.
“I was convinced that the worst was over as she also kept
telling me that she was now feeling better. On 8 September she seemed fined and
even prepared supper before we went to bed. The following morning at around 4AM
her condition just changed for the worse,” she said.
“She started coughing and vomiting blood and struggled to
breathe. Sikhulile asked me to take her outside and I did so. While we were
outside, I placed her head on my lap and she was gasping. Her last words were
“mama, mama umntwanami” before she went quiet.’
According to the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC), nearly
34 percent of girls under the age of 18 are married countrywide. The commission
said it was concerned about the surge in child marriages and the exploitation
of young women. Zimbabwe is one of the countries committed to eliminating child
marriage.
This commitment has been demonstrated by the launch of the
National Action Plan on Ending Child Marriage and rulings by the Constitutional
Court outlawing the practice.
The passing by Parliament of the Marriage Bill
recently is one step closer to enactment
of the Bill, which would bring a fundamental shift in addressing child
marriages.
In clause 3 (1), the Marriage Bill provides that “No person
under the age of eighteen years may contract a marriage or enter into an
unregistered customary law marriage or a civil partnership”.
And for the avoidance of doubt, clause 3 (2) declares that
“child marriages are prohibited and under no circumstances shall any person
contract, solemnise, promote, permit, allow or coerce or aid or abet the
contracting, solemnising, promotion, permitting, allowing or coercion of the
marriage, unregistered customary law marriage, civil partnership, pledging,
promise in marriage or betrothal of a child.” Chronicle
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