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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO East National Assembly representative Ms Tabitha Khumalo yesterday said child rapists were cowards and dared them to attack her. Ms Khumalo was contributing to a report presented by Mufakose representative Ms Paurina Mpariwa calling on parliamentarians to take action against abuse of women and children following a conference on the matter in South Africa last                       year.

“To people who are raping minors, there are women like us who are real women, we are waiting for them to come . . . all men you are all invited, we are waiting for you,” Ms Khumalo said, sending the august House into laughter.

She  said  women  endured  much harassment, even from fellow male parliamentarians. Ms Khumalo quoted from the  Bible, saying: “In Matthew 7 verse 7 it is written, ‘Ask and ye shall be given’.”

The MP is known for her controversial statements and during the Seventh Session of Parliament she proposed establishment of an association of prostitutes to protect their rights because they played an important social role.

Mutare South representative Cde Nyasha Chikwinya also had the House in stitches when she said results from her research showed that child rapists were not “good in bed”.

“They are afraid to approach women of their age because they know they can’t satisfy them sexually,” she said.
She  called for stiffer penalties for rapists.