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Tendai Rupapa: Senior Reporter
There is a worrying trend of parents and guardians who are abusing minors and have been arraigned before Zimbabwe’s courts. These cases of violations are not of a sexual nature, but physical and mental.

Two weeks ago, for example, six women appeared in court on allegations of being “unnatural” mother figures as they faced charges of ill-treating children in their care at the Harare Magistrates’ Court.

This could be an indicator that many children are suffering heinous non-sexual abuse at the hands of parents and guardians in the country.

The police are on record as saying that many cases of child abuse go unreported .

From abusive step-parents to even biological parents, the courts have witnessed incidents of children coming to court with bruises all over their bodies or fractured legs and hands.

Of the six women, one of them is the child’s biological mother while the other is the child’s aunt, while the rest are step-mothers to the victims.

Children’s rights are set out in section 19 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which clearly sets out that the State must adopt policies and measures to ensure that in matters relating to children, the best interests of the children concerned are paramount.

Section 19 (2) (C) provides that, “The State must adopt reasonable policies and measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to ensure that children are protected from maltreatment, neglect or any form of abuse.”

Ill-treatment or abuse of children takes many forms as some children go to sleep on an empty stomach, slapped, whipped to mention just a few.

The rights of children are also emphasised in section 81 (1) (e) of the supreme law. However, according to section 7 of The Children’s Act Chapter 5:06, the penalty for contravening that section depends on the injuries sustained and the nature of ill-treatment.

A custodial sentence can be imposed, community service or a fine of between $100 and $200.

Tendai Muchemei (31) from the Avenues, Harare, appeared before magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande charged with contravening the said act.

She assaulted her 11-year-old daughter with an electric cable for failing a task she had assigned her to do.

According to the State, the offence was committed on April 21.One of the child’s teachers discovered marks on her body which he suspected were due to abuse through assault. With the help of the school, the minor made a report to the police leading to the woman’s arrest. She was lucky to escape jail as the nine-month prison term she had been slapped with was wholly suspended on condition she went for counselling together with the child as recommended by the Probation Officer.

Another woman, Shushai Dambson (38) connived with her daughter, Ethel (16) and used bricks to assault her 14-year-old stepson. Just like her name, Shushai, the woman would severely abuse her stepson for no apparent reason.

Ethel is alleged to have held her brother’s hands so that he could not run away while Shushai assaulted him.

The Form 2 pupil sustained deep cuts on the head due to the assault.

However, the boy withdrew charges against the duo saying that he was failing to balance between court business and school hence he decided to drop the case.

In an interview after the court session, the father of the boy who had accompanied him to court said that his wife was in the habit of assaulting the boy.

He said his hands were tied and did not know what to do with his wife.

These are some of the cases to have been reported and brought before the courts and the rise in such cases is worrying and has concerned not only the courts, but society in general.

It is widely believed that when parents or guardians abuse their children, the results are particularly devastating, some can lead to fatalities.

When children have been beaten or insulted, they are likely to have emotional and psychological problems or low IQs. Let us report cases of child abuse to the nearest police station or the Victim friendly unit.

It is everyone’s responsibility to protect children, a stitch in time serves nine. An African adage goes, “It takes a whole village to bring up a child.”