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IN HAPPIER TIMES . . . Sungura ace Alick Macheso and his estranged wife Tafadzwa Mapako

Elton Dzikiti
Have we lost our moral compass so much that when an allegation is made that a child is being sexually abused by their parent, there is no national outrage of note? Have we become so cold to such cases that we don’t even bat an eyelid?

As a society, we should be judged, and judge ourselves, by how we protect the young, the weak and the  vulnerable.
An allegation that a child has been subjected to serious sexual abuse should prompt an immediate and thorough investigation — regardless of the circumstances, in this case a pending dissolution of a prominent musician, Alick Macheso’s marriage.

Where are the women’s groups?

In my view, they should be picketing relevant authorities, demanding action be taken to ensure such a heinous crime, if true, does not go unpunished and that the child or children affected, receive the protection they rightly deserve.

Why are we not hearing from ministers expressing disgust at the allegations and giving assurances to the people that this, and other vile practices, will be investigated regardless of the supposed stature of the people involved?

Ordinary people have become disillusioned with politics in recent years and it’s easy to see why. Everyday issues of ordinary people have become confined to the peripheries of public discourse that people have come to expect inaction when an immoral and or illegal activity pertains to a household name or “connected”  person.

If on the other hand this had been an accusation made against a politician, there’s no doubt this would have been front page copy – and that is at is should be.

This case should not be allowed to go unreported.

This is a story that should be occupying the front pages of newspapers in the country – and not the non-event that is the supposed infighting of a political party.

Journalists should be elbowing each other to get a byline exposing this story.

Instead, we have got the papers carrying a glowing report on the musician performing in Mutare at the weekend when the story really should be “why hasn’t he been arrested yet”!

We should be brave enough to demand that he first clears this allegation before we give him column inches.

Let’s be honest about this: if true, this is a simple case of paedophilia and should be condemned in the strongest terms possible, and we should see the wheels of justice turn. Society should ostracise anyone who seeks to harm children in the name of sexual gratification disguised as some unfounded voodoo practice. Period.

Traditional healers should be weighing into this too as this is supposedly being done in the name of traditional “witchcraft”.

Record companies and music promoters should be moving with haste to suspend their association with the musician until the issue has been settled.

It is unbelievable that at a time such an accusation has been made, the media is reporting that the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children recently hosted a workshop for journalists to talk about children’s rights and protection!

So why has the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children remained mum about such a high-profile allegation?

If they need to raise their profile as an organisation worthy of their name, then surely this allegation against the sungura musician is something they should be picking up.

They should be phoning all the journalists who attended the workshop, and demand that part of the deal (in accepting per diems that would no doubt have been given at the workshop) was to put into practice what they learnt! Otherwise, this council isn’t relevant and should disband forthwith. Meantime, who’s looking after the interest of the voiceless children being sexually abused – allegedly?