The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
EVERY time Ellis Zhanda stares at her ailing son, sad memories of a nasty incident that happened seven years ago flood her mind.
The 37-year-old alleges that she was raped and never reported the case.
The unfortunate incident is said to have taken place in a forest in Murombedzi, Mashonaland West and left her emotionally wounded and pregnant.
As if that was not enough, Zhanda was later forcefully married off to the ‘perpetrator’, a move she feels was a plan to conceal the crime.
“I have not found closure. I am tormented but do not get me wrong, I love my son whole heartedly despite the circumstances that led to the pregnancy,” she said in tears.
As fate would have it, her son (name withheld) was born with a rare condition known as the exstrophy-epispadias complex (EEC).
He has no genitalia and the rectum system.
ECC is the most serious form of abdominal midline malformation.
According to medical experts, this is a rare birth condition with characteristic defects that involve the urinary system, the musculoskeletal system, the pelvis, the pelvic floor, the abdominal wall, the genitalia and sometimes the spine and the rectum system.
As a result of the condition, the boy cannot sit and has to alternate between standing and lying down.
The boy, who has for the past seven years frequented the theatre for corrective surgeries, relies on colostomy bags and diapers.
Colostomy bags, which cost at least US$1,50, collect faecal matter from the digestive tract through an opening on his abdomen.
He needs at least three colostomy bags and three diapers per day.
An appointment has since been made for the boy to fly to India for a major surgery that will give him a shot to normal life.
However, Zhanda survives on menial jobs and donations from well-wishers. She is unable to raise the required US$16 000 for the surgery and trip.
“My son has suffered for years. I feel helpless and cry myself to sleep daily and my hopes are on this surgery. However, I have no idea if I will be able to raise the money.
“His father raped me and went on to threaten me to remain silent. He was my father’s friend and superior at work. I was young and kept quiet out of fear.
“He went on to pay a bride price before I gave birth but never stayed with me. To date, he has neither set eyes on his son nor contributed towards his upkeep,” revealed Zhanda.
The Sunday Mail Society contacted the alleged perpetrator Jacob Mamhova, who works for a power company but he distanced himself from the crime.
“I only know her as my friend’s daughter,” he said.
He added that he was aware Zhanda has a son that she alleges is his.
“With our history, I doubt that what happened could have resulted in a pregnancy which makes it difficult for me to say the child is mine. If I raped her, she should produce the evidence,” added Mamhova.
However, he failed to shed light on the history that he was making reference to.
Way forward
Zhanda is currently appealing for help from well-wishers to save her son’s life.
Similarly, she has since summoned the guts to seek legal recourse over the matter.
Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) director Abigail Matsvayi said, legally, a rape case remains active for 20 years from the date it is committed.
“In some situations, the challenge is that some evidence gets lost or distorted. This means it will be her word against his in court. So, most women cannot stand that. But she can still report the case,” said Matsvayi.
She added that women that are sexually abused rarely have the courage to report, with only one out of five doing so.
The Adult Rape Clinic (ARC) said it was aware that some victims are afraid to promptly report these issues and a lot needs to be done around communities to address the challenge.
They encouraged Zhanda to report the case and pledged to offer all the necessary support.
HIV/AIDS advocate Tariro Kutadza noted that some victims fail to report because most perpetrators are often in positions of power.
“The fact that the perpetrator went on to pay part of the bride price may have been because he wanted to conceal his crime. The process will be gruelling because it is only coming to light years later but justice will be served,” she reassured.
“She needs to find closure and psycho-social therapy.”
Impact on victim
Laws of Attraction psychologist Blessed Chinyangare said the impact of unreported cases are far reaching for the victim.
“Abuse victims who fail to get closure usually suffer perennial psychological challenges in future. Some of the challenges involve the victim feeling isolated, being distrustful, developing a low self-esteem, depression, and trouble forming and maintaining relationships,” said Chinyangare.
