By Chrispen Tabvura
ZimEye Correspondent
Pastor Tapiwa Maponga, who is also the founding director of Educate a Child Foundation, recently breaks down, during chilling revelations of pain and horror by 27 Mpopoma children, since the deaths of their parents.
The children who said they are experiencing hell on earth, narrated their ordeals at the hands of surviving guardians, who are taking advantage of their orphanage status and sexually abuse them.
This was the second time during an Amazing Stars drama in the township. A number of children, whose images cannot be published to protect their already damaged moralities and dignity, attended the event.
The drama, a community developmental and self-help exercise courtesy of Sebenzela-Shandira Zimbabwe ideology, was created as a community platform to highlight social issues and explore participants’ drama talent.
Of the 27 sexually abused, nine are boys who have suffered bruises of gruesome sodomy at the hands of their relatives. Antony and Steven, names changed to protect the innocence, are severely traumatised. They revealed their plight during the Arts training session .
“My parents died a few weeks after they returned from South Africa. It looks like they were poisoned at their work place, since it was at the height of xenophobia against Zimbabweans by SA citizens, who were accusing them of taking their employment opportunities.
I stayed with my uncles who took turns to rape me every night, and sometimes I would opt to sleep in the Kelvin industrial area, where I will be away from torture,” said a tearful Antony.
The Grade Six boy has since moved away from his uncle’s house, but is still a victim as they occasionally summon him home. Antony is appealing for assistance to be permanently removed from the criminally perverted uncles’ clutches.
Another innocent orphan who has sought refuge at Vulindhlela Orphanage revealed his chilling experience. Steven could not narrate a word without breaking down, and would time to time remove his trousers to show the scars of the sexually depraved monster relatives whilst narrating his ordeal.
“I wish all my parents were alive and if it was possible for me to call them from their graves, so that I can show them what I am going through after their departure from earth,” said Steven before breaking down into tears.
Several girls, now under Patricia Tshabalala’s caring wing, are victims of their relatives who take advantage of their orphan status, and sexually abuse them. More than 21 girls under the age of 14 have been rescued from the clutches of depraved relatives.
“It is so bad, and unethical that an uncle or cousin can take advantage of his own relative to prey and quench sexual desire or appetite from your blood relative. I wish Zimbabwean laws can introduce sharia laws to deal with this evil habit,” said a visibly angry Patricia Tshabalala, a Founding Director for Vulindhlela Orphanage in Mpopoma, Bulawayo.
A Care-Giver at a different drama event in Nketa told one of the organisers that although charges are at times laid against sexual offenders, these are often dropped by other family members because the offender is either the head of the house, or the main bread-winner. Children are suffering because of a depressed economy!
ZimEye is in possession of pictures and videos of the sexually abused minors, but will not be published for professional, ethical and legal reasons.
Pastor Maponga is appealing to the Christian world to intervene with more assistance, to extricate these poor souls from this bondage of evil.