Gwanda residents are up in arms as cases of women being fatally assaulted have increased since the beginning of the year 2020. In the last four months, atleast six women have been violently killed in the Matabeleland South capital.
In March, an axe wielding man brutally killed a 68-year old woman in Spitzkop North Extension, Gwanda while in July, two dead women bodies were found dumped in a bushy area in Gwanda at Makwezi Farm.
In a conversation with CYDT, a woman from Gwanda said women are now living in fear due to the increasing abuse and killing of women. She said, “Whenever I walk alone outside, I think of the women that were sexual abused and killed violently while walking alone. Our communities are not safe anymore.”
Another woman said she was even afraid of being attacked at home since some of these perpetrators break in people`s homes on broad daylight. “You can choose to stay at home, but in some cases, these hooligans do not care; they just come and terrorise you with Machetes and axes,” she bemoaned.
Women said if security is not increased, many women will be violently killed. They challenged all key stakeholders to urgently convene to develop strategies that will ensure the safety of women in Gwanda and Matabeleland South in general. One woman said, “Local stakeholders like traditional leaders, religious leaders, councillors and the Ministry of local Government must support efforts to end violence against women.”
They also raised their concern on impunity for violence against women. One woman said, “Many cases of women that have been violently killed, raped and beaten have gone unpunished. These cases are still to be addressed. Authorities are not doing enough to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. Most of these women abusers are walking free in Gwanda which further shows that women are not safe.”
She went on to say that, “the fact that they are walking free without being held accountable, the chances of them beating and killing women again are high. We urge authorities to intensify the arrest of these perpetrators. I am sure if they are arrested, women will start to feel safe again in Gwanda.”
Another woman said there can be no healing if the perpetrators of women abuse are not held accountable. “Those who lost their friends want the perpetrators arrested while those who were sexually abused cannot heal as long the perpetrators are yet to be arrested. Therefore justice must first prevail,” she said.
She also challenged the community to stand together in fighting violence against women.
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