.as they become heavily pregnant
NKULUMANI MLAMBO
MASVINGO-The abuse of the girl child in the country continue to surge with the latest in Masvingo Urban being that of two underage girls at Dikwindi Primary School.
The two girls who were doing grade 7 at Masvingo Municipality run Dikwindi Primary School last year, whose names could not be revealed for ethical reasons, were allegedly impregnated by men from the same neighbourhood.
One of the alleged perpetrators is a vendor at the famous Chitima Market in Masvingo City and is married with two children according to an audio in our possession from the mother who seemed to be sympathising with the abuser.
“Haaa ndotoita zvose baba vacho havana kana chavanacho, ipo paChitima paari haana chaanowana, haana chinhu,” she is heard telling other women. (I have to do it everything for the baby since the father is poor, he gets nothing from his vending business).
This reporter approached the Police after getting a tip off from one of the teachers at the school last year. The teacher told this reporter that the two girls could not sit for the final national examinations after becoming heavily pregnant just before the final national examinations.
The Police started investigations, but until the time of writing this article nothing concrete had come out of their investigations except reports that they had visited the residency of the girls.
Masvingo Province Police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa appealed to this reporter not to publish the story now as that would jeopardise their investigations.
“I appeal to you to hold on to the story as the investigating officer has established some leads that could result in the arrest of the perpetrator.
“We have established that the other girl was 16 years at the time she got pregnant hence we have decided to drop the investigations.
“We are having difficulties in finding the second one as everytime the investigating officer visits the address given she fails to locate her and we are suspecting that the parents could be hiding her because she is key to the case. This is the reason why we are appealing for more time before the story becomes public.
“Unfortunately the matter was not reported to Police when it was discovered that she was pregnant as that could have helped us a lot in our pursuit of the culprit,” said Dhewa.
When contacted for comment the Dikwindi Primary school head, Tendai Mavhinga confirmed the matter but disputed Dhewa’s assertion that the matter was not reported to the Police.
“It is true that there was such a case of a 13 year old grade 7 pupil who has since dropped out of school after falling pregnant.
“We reported the case to the Police and compiled a report to the DSI, approach those offices and get all the information that you may need about the matter,” said Mavhinga without allowing this reporter a chance to ask more questions.
When contacted for a comment, Masvingo District Schools Inspector, Ismael Chigaba denied knowledge of the matter.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director, Shylatte Mhike also said she was not aware of the matter before asking Chigaba who appeared to be in the same office about the issue as she hung up.
Efforts to call her back in the past two weeks were not successful as she would hang up or simply ignore the ringing phone.
This reporter is in possesion of pictures of the girl holding her baby soon after giving birth and when her mother hosted a baby welcome party for her bundle of joy late last year.
Other sources have told this publication which is doing the story in conjuction with the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe that the other girl’s child passed away last week.
On the other hand some are saying the mother is the one spreading the false rumours to wade off attention from the family as she might be aware that a crime was committed.
When contacted for a comment, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary, Tumisang Thabela requested this reporter to send an email on the issue as she was not aware of it.
Cases of under age girls being impregnated gained prominence last year after Memory Machaya died at Marange Apostolic shrine while giving birth and the alleged perpetrator has since skipped the border after he was given bail by a Mutare Magistrate.
Chipiwa Mugabe of the Space for Marginalised Groups said they will try to investigate the matter but their main problem is uncooperative parents and the victims who are coached on what to say by devious close people.
“We condemn such abuse in the strongest terms, the behaviour of the school authorities, the Police and the parents which does not add up. We are definitely going to investigate the matter and ensure that the culprits are brought to book.
“Cases of the under age girls falling pregnant are just too many especially in the high density areas and rural areas and we have plans to embark an all out campaign to educate communities against the sexual abuse of young girls,’ said Mugabe.
Mugabe added that they will approach the Ministry of Education to allow the girls to continue with their education just like the nine year old Tsholotsho girl who has since gone back to school to continue with her studies.
The story is published with support from the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and the Embassy of Canada in Zimbabwe under the Investigative Journalism Fund Program.
