A young girl was raped at Matobo Business Centre before she went to the police station to report the incident only to be sexually assaulted again by a presiding police officer, a senator has revealed in Parliament.
The sad story came out on Wednesday during a Senate sitting when senator Alice Chimbudzi moved a motion regarding gender based violence as legislators commemorated 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Commenting on the motion, MDC-T Bulawayo Metropolitan senator Mildred Dube gave an emotional story she witnessed of a girl who was raped by a police officer while reporting the a sexual assault.
“I saw a young girl who was raped in Matobo. She was carrying a five litre container at Matobo Business Centre, and some people wanted to see what was happening. When I got into the shop, I asked what was happening, then that girl told me that she had been raped.
“She said that she had been to a police station but the police officer raped her also. I said how and she said please do not talk about it because they will kill me,” Dube said.
“Then I called Bulawayo Central Police and a police car came to the shopping centre whilst I was still there and that police officer was arrested. People are afraid of witnessing such events, whether it is a neighbour’s child or not but that child is yours. You are a parent also.”
Zanu PF senator Angeline Tongogara also added her voice on the motion arguing that the country had not instituted measures that can combat gender-based violence.
“Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi on gender based violence.
“Mr. President, annually, this issue is debated in this House as well as in the Lower House but the challenge that we have is that we have not seen any change. All measures that are being said to address this scourge seem not to be working for us,” she said.
Today marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. Nehanda Radio
