Women Being Tortured

ZANU PF accused of using police to banish women from politics

By Irene Madongo
02 August 2011

The state security sector is still actively being used by Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF to torture and oppress women in order to keep them out of the political process, a new report has revealed. The report also brings out the direct role of the ZANU PF militia in the violence.

The ‘Women and Political Violence: An Update’ report was compiled by the Women’s Programme of the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) and released on Monday. It is a study on the degree of violence against women and its impact, after Robert Mugabe last year began demanding an election in 2011.

The RAU report says that Mugabe’s election talk has fuelled violence against those perceived to be his political opponents, and women are being targeted.

The report comes at a time when there are growing calls from civic society, political parties such as the MDC-T and SADC for the security sector to be reformed. Despite this, the new report shows the security chiefs remain openly devoted to ZANU PF and carry out its atrocities.

The RAU report has zoomed in on the fate of women caught up in the political cross-fire or those involved in basic human rights issues. It says their treatment at the hands of the security has lead Zimbabwe to break several international protocols, including the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

Recent and ongoing cases of serious violence against women are also highlighted in the report. This includes a member of Woman of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) who was tortured so badly in custody that her swollen hands could not hold her two-month old baby. Another woman, Yvonne Musarurwa, who was recently held with several MDC-T supporters over the death of a policeman in Glen View, has a fractured arm and a wound that has been bleeding for more than 30 days. The report also says that Musarurwa can barley walk.

“Arbitrary arrests, physical abuse, torture and hate speech characterise a relentless campaign by President Mugabe’s disciples in the top echelons of the security organs; namely the army, police, intelligence and militia to intimidate and instill fear in the masses ahead of the anticipated elections,” the report states.

Kudakwashe Chitsike, the programme manager of RAU’s Women’s Programme said: “One of the most important things we would like to see is the end of violence, and especially violence against women. Violence in Zimbabwe keeps on happening without perpetrators being brought to justice. So it means violence continues being a part of our lives.

Another woman tortured as a witch in Rajasthan

The woman told police Thursday that her husband Manilal Parmar was also beaten up in Dowada village, about 500 km from state capital Jaipur. A case has been registered against three villagers.

"A group of people came to my house July 4 and started beating me. They said I was a 'dayan' (witch). The torture has been going on since then," the woman said in her complaint.

According to police, an inquiry has been ordered.

"They ostracised her and claimed she was a 'dayan' and possessed an evil spirit," a senior police officer told IANS.

He said a first information report (FIR) has been registered against three villagers. "Some others were also involved. They are being identified. We are conducting raids," he said.

The practice of branding women as witches and torturing them continues unabated in the remote rural areas of Rajasthan despite claims by the state government to come up with a stringent law against it.

In the last week of May, a 30-year-old woman was also branded a witch and tortured in Padardi Mewada village of the district.

Sources in the state home department said police have registered only 24 such cases in the past five years, though NGOs say the actual number is much higher.

"Chargesheets have been filed in 22 cases, while investigation is pending in the remaining two," a senior police officer said.

The Rajasthan government is also to file a reply in the high court next week over the measures being taken to curb the practice after some NGOs, including the National Federation of Indian Women through its secretary Nisha Siddhu, approached the court demanding a stringent law.

The state department of women and child development has proposed a stringent law against women being branded witches.

According to the draft Rajasthan Women (Prevention and Protection from Atrocities) Bill, 2011, a crime would be considered to have been committed when any person or community intentionally or inadvertently abets, conspires, aids and instigates the identification of a woman as a witch leading to her mental and physical torture and humiliation.

The bill has proposed a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and fine for those who grab the land of such women after forcing them to leave their house.

If a woman commits suicide after being called a witch, the accused shall be given a prison sentence of not less than five years, which can be extended to 10 years, with a minimum fine of Rs.25,000. The fine can be enhanced to Rs.50,000, the bill draft said.

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