ZIMBABWE: 'Ten Soldiers Took Turns to Rape Me'

SEVEN years ago 36-year-old Mary Pamire was allegedly raped by 10 soldiers on the outskirts of Chitungwiza town.

Recounting her ordeal at a recent public meeting, Pamire said she had just come back from a National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) mass action in Chitungwiza when a car screeched to a halt outside her Mbare home.

Before she knew what was happening four soldiers had entered her home and ordered her to follow them.

"My house is by the roadside so when I heard the car approaching I didn't think much about it. I thought it was my neighbour who had returned from work," Pamire said.

"Although I fought back, the soldiers overpowered me and dragged me out of the house and pushed me into their car. Everything happened so fast that even when I screamed no one heard me," she said.

Outside Chitungwiza, Pamire says she was forced to lie down blindfolded as the soldiers took turns to rape her.

She passed out during the ordeal but not before hearing the soldiers threatening to stuff hot chillies into her private parts.

As her small frame shook and trembled in fits of despair and anger, Pamire touched the hearts of many who listened to her testimony at a function held at a city hotel.

After the rape Pamire said she was dumped by the roadside and left for dead.

"I woke up at the side of the road and when I saw a car approaching I crawled towards the road and flagged it down," she continued with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I spent weeks recovering at Avenues Clinic...each time I wanted to go to the toilet I had to be assisted...I was badly injured. Up to now my womanhood is not the same."

Hers is just but one of numerous tales of women activists captured in a report recently launched by the NCA and the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) exposing how women activists fighting for democracy in Zimbabwe have suffered over the years.

The report titled: "Fighting for a new constitution: human rights violations experienced by female members of the National Constitutional Assembly" features the experiences of 231 women from various parts of the country.

Among the report's key findings is that rape and sexual abuse were the most common forms of violations against female political and civil rights activists in post independence Zimbabwe.

It also notes that most of the violations occurred during times of elections or decisive events such as referendums while perpetrators were usually people with "strong links with the state, without necessarily being part of the state".

But for the delegates who attended the launch, the biggest worry was the fact that the affected women never got any counselling to help them cope with the trauma.

Pamire did not hide the fact that she was bitter that the NCA and MDC were not helping her despite the fact that she had sacrificed her life for their cause.

The only assistance she got was from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's late wife, Susan, she said.

"Watching Pamire break down like this while telling her story is a sign that she has not received the necessary support and counselling services," said Petronella Nyamapfene, the director of the Justice for Children Trust.

"It is important for civil rights organisations to work with other organisations to counsel these women and help them move on after the abuse."

HIV and Aids activist and director of Women and Support Network (WASN) Mary Sandasi concurred saying it was important to help the survivors.

Kuda Chitsike, a researcher with RAU, said she was pleased the report had brought out pertinent issues of victim support and the extent of the violations in the country.