Who will guard those meant to guard our children?

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When reports about the rape of 36 minor school girls allegedly by the school caretaker at a school in Zimbabwe were made public recently, I was stunned - rendered speechless and appalled. Only gross negligence on the part of the authorities at the school could have resulted in the extent of the sexual abuse going unnoticed for so long.

When reports about the rape of 36 minor school girls allegedly by the school caretaker at a school in Zimbabwe were made public recently, I was stunned - rendered speechless and appalled. It is the biggest child abuse case in Zimbabwe in recent memory - some reports put the number of girls who were raped at Macheke Primary at 53.

My reaction was also personal as I had attended Macheke Primary in the late 1980s from grade three to seven. When I first read about the rapes I asked myself how this could possibly have happened. How did the alleged perpetrator carry out his acts of brutality over a period of three months between January and March 2005 without being found out? My horror was further compounded by a report in The Herald newspaper about a temporary teacher who had abused six children at the same school!

At the same school! My mind reeled!

Only gross negligence on the part of the authorities at the school could have resulted in the extent of the sexual abuse going unnoticed for so long. The Zimbabwean Minister of Education supports this argument and has said: “It is very abnormal. There is a conspiracy… 53 children were abused and the teachers were not aware and the pupils were not reporting? We are supposed to protect the children. We are the responsible authorities.”

The government’s response unfortunately falls far short of being adequate. The school has been closed and all the staff transferred. What about girl children at other schools in the country where they continue to be sexually assaulted by teachers and even peers? Instead recognising the severity of the problem, the Minister of Education has focused very narrowly on Macheke Primary and condemned the District Education Officers for deploying a staff complement of nine teachers, aged between 22 and 24 years, four of whom are temporary teachers. This piecemeal response does not recognise that the sexual assault of girls and women in Zimbabwe is a national crisis!

Macheke Primary was the envy of every Zimbabwean child in the 1980s as it offered quality education and unquestionable protection. We were well looked after by the headmaster, teachers, matrons and other authority figures. None of us ever imagined that the adults employed to protect us, would turn against us, using their positions to exploit our trust.

The rapes at Macheke Primary School throw the spotlight on a much deeper crisis in Zimbabwean society – the absence of effective legislation to address child abuse and related sexual offences in the country. Almost every day we hear reports about another rape of a girl or woman, many of whom do not report their violation for fear of reprisal or because of a lack of effective support mechanisms for survivors of sexual violence and assault.

Despite Zimbabwe being a signatory to the SADC Addendum on the Eradication of Violence against Women and Children, the Ministry of Justice is still dragging its feet over the white paper on the Child Sexual Offences Draft Bill presented to it about six months ago by the Girl Child Network. Without adequate legislation to deter would-be offenders - and commitment by those whose duty it is to protect – the sexual violation of women and children will continue.

It is four months since the caretaker at Macheke Primary was arrested and charged with seven counts of rape, 25 of indecent assault and one of crimen injuria. What kind of message is this sending out?

Fingers have been pointed at women’s groups for failing to take action. But why is it only women’s groups who are expected to do something? Surely it is the responsibility of all citizens to protect our children?

As Zimbabwe’s political and socio-economic problems continue to deepen, many critical issues, such as gender violence, are being pushed to the periphery. The impact of the government sanction Operation Murambatsvina campaign has served only to worsen conditions in the country. According to a report by UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka, "Hundreds of thousands of women, men and children were made homeless, without access to food, water and sanitation, or health care. Education for thousands of school age children has been disrupted”. Already vulnerable children have been made more vulnerable as they are forced to live in the open or in overcrowded holding camps.

The absence of effective legislation coupled with the devastation of Operation Murambatsvina has combined to create a crisis for Zimbabwe’s girl children. The passing of effective legislation would be the starting point of a process to make our country safe for our children. In its prelude to the Draft Bill presented to the Justice Ministry, the Girl Child Network aptly summarised: “Child sexual abuse coupled with HIV and AIDS are global challenges but on a domestic level the Child Sexual Offences Act, an agglomeration of condemnation of foreseeable sexual wrongs against children can be the first step to journey of a thousand miles – of the prevention of child sexual abuse.”

Loveness Jambaya is the Zimbabwe country representative of the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) Network. This article is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service.

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