CASES of gender-based violence continue to worryingly increase across the country.
It is disgusting to note that despite the growing levels of gender-based violence and general abuse of women and children, little is happening to deal with perpetrators of the vice decisively.
Our sister publication, the Daily News on Sunday, yesterday reported that there was a high number of gender-based violence cases going unreported in Matabeleland South.
“We have documented evidence of increased rape cases among young women and girls, particularly in Gwanda District. The tragedy is that the majority of these are victims of the people they trusted such as relatives and to some extent teachers who conduct private lessons.
“It is so sad that some rape cases happen in places deemed to be safe houses such as the maternal shelters in local hospitals,” said the Gwanda-based Community Youth Development Trust.
“There was an increase in domestic violence, including intimate partner violence as reported by young women from Gwanda, Matobo, Insiza and Mzingwane rural communities.”
The situation obtaining in Matabeleland South is also rampant in most provinces across the country and it’s becoming scary.
The safety of 52 percent of the country’s population, females, is under threat and this calls for action to realign our laws so that they conform to the requirements of the environment we are living in.
The police Victim Friendly Unit needs capacity while the penalties meted on convicted paedophiles, rapists and wife bashers needs to be reviewed. Our justice system needs to be strengthened to deal ruthlessly with gender based violence perpetrators.
We need specialised courts to deal with cases of gender based violence. It is worth noting that the government is working on establishing a shelter for gender based violence victims.
This shelter would assist in the rehabilitation of victims to get rid of the trauma that comes with being violated by heartless individuals.
Our children and women need protection and the state has an obligation to expend all resources available to make sure this is realised. Unfortunately the most trusted people in our midst have turned into the greatest monsters of our generation. Our people need a saviour and the government must wake up now and deliver us from evil!
