Zanu-PF donates to rape victim

ZANU-PF’s Mhangura District has come to the rescue of a rape victim who fell pregnant and contracted HIV after being sexually assaulted by her father.

The woman (name withheld) was even ostracised by her family for exposing her ordeal.

However, she recently received food, clothing, blankets and money from the Zanu-PF Women’s League in Mhangura 1 and 2 districts.

The Mhangura woman told members of the Women’s League that life has never been rosy from the day she exposed her 71-year-old father.

The woman said the offence could have been done for ritual purposes as her father, who has since been jailed for 15 years, owned a fleet of commuter omnibuses.

“I am told he tried to deny the charges, but there was overwhelming evidence against him, including matching blood samples of me and my child.

“I failed to attend the court hearing as I was devastated,” said the woman.

The woman said she had to battle with suicidal thoughts since she felt hugely let down by her parents.

Her mother reportedly snatched her husband in 2004 and the improper relationship spawned a child. Her mother, however, died in 2014. “My mother’s relatives are demanding two goats from me to perform rituals in line with our customs. They treat me as an outcast for exposing my biological parents’ evil deeds,” she said.

“I am currently a destitute taking care of a child whom I don’t even know what to call her as she is a sister and daughter.

“I am, however, grateful to the Women’s League and other well-wishers for their support towards my welfare,” she added.

The ruling party’s provincial health secretary Cde Precious Chinhamo-Masango pledged to help the woman acquire identity documents, which got lost when she was chased away by her family members for exposing the rape case.

“It should be known to all the people in the country that Zanu-PF is a people-loving party, which strives on taking good care of the people in the community,” said Cde Chinhamo-Masango.

“As the women’s league, it is also our mandate as mothers of the party to play a leading role in making sure that those in need are given the help they deserve, but all structures have a role to play in making lives of everyone comfortable.”

The Women’s League, she said, was now actively giving a helping hand to vulnerable members of society.