The matter was
reported to the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) and Police late last year but
villagers are worried by the snail pace of the investigations.
ZGC CEO,
Virginia Muwanigwa said she can only comment on the matter after being updated
on the issue by the investigating officer.
The Mirror
could also not get hold of Masvingo Police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe
Dhewa to comment.
The abused
daughter who is now 25 years old has been taken to a house of a relative where
she is staying alone with her two kids. Her two young sisters who are witnesses
to the case were also removed from home for fear that they would be physically
abused by the father who is alleged to be violent.
The case
happened in Chawira Village and The Mirror cannot disclose the name of the
father as this would lead to the identification of the abused girl.
Villagers also
complained that the two witnesses who are both doing form four have not
returned home to start school since opening this week and they urged Police and
ZGC to speed up investigations so that the children’s lives can go back to
normal.
Shamwari
Yemwanasikana director, Ekenia Chifamba said it was not proper that the abused
girl and her sisters are staying with relatives. She said that the Department
of Social Welfare has a responsibility to take over the children and find them
safe places to live.
“I am rather
put aback by the fact that these children have been given to relatives to take
care of them. The Department of Social Welfare should have taken over such a
case because they are qualified to deal with such matters. The abused girl and
even her little sisters may end up with health issues,” she said.
The accused
father denied the allegations in a telephone interview with The Mirror.
Village head
Patrick Madziva confirmed the case and said that the girl was abused since she
was 16. She now has two children aged eight and four years old.
“Yes, the girl
was abused since she was 16 years. Her little sisters are in hiding because of
fear of the father who is known for being violent,” said Madziva.
Madziva said
the issue was the talk of the community and a report to the local Police post
yielded nothing.
The accused’s
elder brother also confirmed the case to The Mirror.
He said that it
was a family decision to remove the abused girl from home after incessant
reports of the rape.
The accused’s
wife also told The Mirror that she on several occasions found her husband
sleeping with the girl. Masvingo Mirror
