By Nomazulu Thata | One could easily forgive this MP for absolute ignorance. In German language they say if ignorance was painful, how many people were we going to see just crying? We are nearing elections and it is paramount for us in the opposition never to split, condemn each other in front of this monster Zanu PF. I am really forced to respond to this outrage from an MDC-T politician. How does a party MDC-T that has a chance of winning the coming election, if they were free and fare of course. How do you afford to display such ignorance in front of the enemy Zanu PF?
Just yesterday I wrote an article that was almost attacking some ignorance and backwardness displayed by Chigumbu Warikandwa. Both of you Keresencia Chabuka and Chigumbu are targeting children’s rights. You want to violet their rights that are codified in several international conventions. If you were educated you would know them and respect the dignity of children. Again here is a classical example of how backward Africans can be. The world has become a global village with all its dynamics in embracing change in all levels social, economic, technological and many other levels of development, This MP from MDC-T is moving backward, trying to gain currency by riding into traditions that have no room in the present day exponentially developing world.
At best the presidency of MDC-T should recall this woman, she does not deserve a seat in politics of Zimbabwe because she is old-stoneage mentality, and we cannot afford this pulling us backwards all the time. It is wholly in the language of the people to talk in holy-terms about the old traditions that were good to all, stuff and nonsense! Most progressive countries will never for once want to return to those old traditions of yester-year except some elements in our Zimbabwe societies. It’s just the power they want to possess by reducing vulnerable niche: our children either by bashing them as meting “honour violence” or physically opening children’s legs to see if they are still virgins.
We should remember too that our social media is read by millions of diverse cultures and races out there and they get their confirmation, “did we not tell you that Africans are still primitive?” I do not know any other primitive way of dealing with growing children than to violet the dignity of the growing child, testing her virginity? Virginity and her private parts are her own privacy, and not even the mother has the right to demand to see them if the child did not voluntarily ask her mother for some health assistance.
Advice from Tetes and Babakazis and older sister! My foot! Its stuff and nonsense!
It did not say that any tete is capable of giving good advice to growing girls. The advice girls should get must be from a professional person and not any tete some of which have no academic and professional knowledge to give profitable and professional counselling. This is where we Africans get it very wrong. We accept advice from people who are themselves so vulnerable and in need of help themselves. It’s like going to a Nganga and ask for medicine to get rich. Here is a nganga who is so poor, he is supposed to know the herb that will make another one rich! Just stuff and nonsense! Did he/she get rich with that ntebe on his/her neck? Where ignorance is just bliss its folly to still call yourself you are wise!
We know too that the mere mention of the word “tradition” scares all of us to stiffness, submission and inaction. We have become slaves of traditional beliefs and values that are so backward and outdated. It is those traditions that patriarchal women use to oppress other women termed rebels in the social institutions called family. Those backward traditions are the chains that should be made loose. We are going to break them because those traditions violet women’s rights and children’s rights enshrined in the international conventions. (My services to women and children are my uttermost objects to live for (Nomazulu Thata).
To bring up a child using the “famous rod” just perpetuates violence in homes. It destroys the child completely. On the other hand to violet the privacy of the child by testing her virginity, what about those children who are abused by those satanic men out there who want virgin cleansing myth- to cure their HIV/AIDS by sleeping with virgins? We also know too that when a girl, it does not matter how young, is sexually abused, it is the fault of the child again who did not sit properly in front of the “decent” man. The “decent man, ” his member has been raised by the “wrong” sitting of the girl; could not help it but sexually demand it right away it did not matter how old the girl-child is? We know too, this silly little MP from MDC-T with a pea-sized-brain, should know that we have babies as old as one year who have been sexually abused by sick men, barbaric men, devilish, Lucifer’s, oh my god please help! Are you going to test their virginity too? Keresencia Chabuka, you are silly, stupid, noisy gong, primitive and a package of nonsense!
Now if a girl was sexually abused and she lost her virginity, how are they going to be categorised. Is this cheap MP politician going tell us these girls misbehaved? Who is going to set up the categories? It’s just stupid, absolute stupid to come out with such suggestions of virginity testing when the rate of abuse on babies, toddlers, children, girls young women is so high, the police cannot even keep correct statistics on how many children are sexually abused every our in Zimbabwe. Previously it was said in Zimbabwe, every 90 minutes a baby, girl or a toddler is sexually abused, you Keresencia Chibaku are talking about virginity testing, are you aware of these statistics at all? Do you know how many thousands little girls suffer silently in homes because they cannot come out and tell it that they are systematically abused in those “comfortable and safe homes?” The gray area is a lot bigger than police statistics by the way.
If you want our confidence dear MDC-T, please make sure you recall this MP Keresencia Chabuka because she is letting our vulnerable niche down. She is insulting the dignity of the girl-child. She does not tell us how the boys-children will be tested for virginity at all. This is a woman who thinks patriarchal, she is saying girls and young women are to blame in any sex encounter with men. This MP is saying men are venerated for demanding sex: its good sign if a man wants sex at any age: it becomes bad if a woman of any age wants sex. We cannot accept such a persona as a formidable politician in the coming dispensation.
Not long ago a girl-child of 14 years who was forced into sexual intercourse by some rogue man in Gwanda was forced to wash blankets naked. Is this our civilised nation in 2017? The man who abused the girl went scot free. Shame-proneness and guilt-proneness is internalised on the girl-child all the time at an early age. When you test a girl for her virginity you are meting absolute shame on her: you are creating a social stigma related to sexual identity on the girl-child. Virginity testing reduces the girl-child’s self- esteem; it undermines them as persons and their dignity. Girls do not perform well in schools because of this constant ridicule at homes. Looseness is always redirected to growing girls all the time than growing boys.
This MP should know that testing virginity on growing children is in itself child abuse: the law should perpetrate such practices even from churches. This woman MP is still deep in adoring patriarchal sets up and she wishes all should fall back to the tradition s and culture of yester-year. Why not take the fight on the rate of rape in our nation: rape is inexcusably high. Dear MP of MDC-T can you please be bold for change: this is our theme of International Women’s Day 2017. Please be part of it and be the change we want to see.