DRY THOSE TEARS
Helping hand for widows
WIDOWS were given food for the soul at a seminar hosted by Powerhouse Development Services at the Uloyiso Community Church, in North End, East London, during International Widow’s Day on Saturday.
The international day, which was launched by the United Nations in 2010, is aimed at raising awareness of the violation of human rights that widows often suffer, inflicted either by traditional societies or their in-laws who often deny them their inheritance and land rights.
This sometimes forces widows to be evicted from their homes, feel ostracised and abused and to live in poverty.
Powerhouse Development Services (PDS) empowers widows in mourning with socio-economic support through counselling services, motivation, a widow-on-call SMS line.
It also gives referrals for legal help with financial disputes and claims.
However, PDS founder Advocate Bonnie Mzimba said the seminar, with sermons by four pastors, was aimed at healing widows spiritually through praise and worship and Bible scripture.
Mzimba said although it had been eight years since the UN officiated the widows commemoration day, widows in South Africa had yet to get the justice they deserved. “Widows are still struggling to access legal assistance when they are being stripped of their husband’s inheritance and can’t go through the courts because it becomes too costly.”
Mzimba said the justice system had no sympathy for widows.
“At times they are intimidated and abused by their in-laws fighting for the inheritance and trying to protect their children and when they go to the police because they have been violated and abused, they are turned away and told to resolve things amicably with their family,” said Mzimba.
Nomvuyo Ndevu, 68, who lost her husband two years ago, said the sessions hosted by PDS had helped her heal emotionally.
Sindiswa Rumbu, 66, said when her husband died in 2003, her inlaws accused her of his death, and took over land claims her husband had received.
She said PDS had helped her to overcome the emotional bondage she suffered and to find peace.