Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
Building up to 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, calls have been made for community intervention in reducing crimes of passion that have been steadily rising.
In a brutal act of violence, a man from Rushinga, Mashonaland Central Province, David Meja went into hiding after he allegedly beheaded his wife Grace Mureza last Sunday.
The woman’s body was discovered headless the following morning and allegations are that the deceased had been in a prolonged dispute with her estranged husband.
This is one of the many horrific incidents of love-related murders popularly known as passion killings which have become an issue of great concern within society.
But what are some of the contributing factors that might lead the perpetrator to commit such an abominable offense?
“Our traditional culture is slowly getting erased. Traditionally, we knew if disputes arose in our marriage, we consulted uncles and aunts without resorting to violence. These days people resort to violence and end up stabbing or axing each other,” said a community member.
Another added, “It seems we have failed to raise our children in a morally upright manner, they don’t respect anyone. If they marry, they don’t even respect their spouse. As a father, if I am in the habit of abusing my wife in the presence of my children, they then grow up thinking that abusive behaviour is normal in marriage.”
“Most of the time, as men we get frustrated when your lawfully wedded wife cheats on you, the person you have paid lobola for. The anger may lead someone to commit a crime,” said a community member.
Gender advocates underscore the importance of community involvement in fighting the scourge.
“Communities need to nurture couples so that they understand that a human being is to be respected. When something goes wrong, this should be corrected by the communities in love and in respect. It is not a one day thing, it takes place through socialisation as people are actually socialised as they grow, they need these values to be inculcated within them,” said a commissioner with the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Dr Sibongile Mauye.
“As we draw closer to the 16 days of activism, people in union and marriage should seek counselling, an ear that can listen to them, an individual who can actually bring sanity in their relationship in the event of mistrust or infidelity where they fail to resolve their issues. They should always have a tendency of building an open line of communication within their relationships so that they avoid situations of mistrust. We also need to raise awareness around crimes of passion and also share information of where to get help,” added Gender activist, Ekenia Chifamba.
Leader of the Apostolic Faith Mission, Reverend Dr Cossam Chiyangwa highlighted the church should rise to the challenge and heighten the adoption of good moral values.
He said, “In marriage, the spirit of adultery and murder stems from the devil. Couples need to be prayerful so that they won’t get afflicted. When we come to Jesus, we are coming to the truth and that evil spirit will release you. Pastors in Zimbabwe, let’s unite and pray so that God will heal our people.”
Statistics indicate that while men and boys are occasionally victims of passion killings, women and girls are the ones who largely suffer the consequences of this type of gender-based violence.
