Zimpapers Logo

Marimba Police Camp in Harare on March 13, 2007 – will remain traumatised with the sad and painful memories of the horrific incident.
She sustained serious burns on her face, hands and shoulders.
She is the one who was mostly affected by the fire and still bears the scars of the incident.
Between March 15 and 25, 2007, four police stations – in Chitungwiza, Marimba, Sakubva and Gweru – were bombed by suspected MDC-T activists, resulting in serious injury to two women constables and damage to property.
Police suspected MDC-T supporters were responsible for both attacks and arrested five suspects in connection with the Gweru attack.
The raiders cut the wire along the northern boundary of Marimba Police Camp and threw petrol bombs and teargas canisters at three houses, the most serious damage and all the injuries occurring at a house shared by the three women constables.
Sergeant Moyo and her colleague Sgt Pretty Rushwaya had their faces seriously burnt while Cst Brenda Makamba escaped with less serious burns on the face, chest, legs and arms.
“Every time my seven-year-old son sees these scars, he keeps asking me what happened to me and reminding me about the petrol bombing incident,” she said.
Sgt Moyo who was a constable by that time said she returned from work at around 5pm and with Sgt Rushwaya, they cooked their food before retiring to bed at around 9pm.
“Between 1 and 2am, I felt as if I was dreaming, someone torching me in the face and I woke up. I was shocked to see a ball of fire and by that time I felt very weak,” she said.
She said she managed to get to the door and with the help of Sgt Rushwaya and Cst Makamba they forcibly opened the door to get out of the house. A few minutes later she became unconscious before being ferried to Parirenyatwa Hospital.
“I stayed for five months before being discharged and taken to the ZRP Hospital where I was again admitted for two months.
“During all these months, the wounds were very painful especially on the issue that we were dressed everyday with salt sometimes applied on the affected areas to clean them,” Sgt Moyo said. She said every time her son who stays with a relative sees the scars, he asks her about what happened.
“He knew I did not have these scars before the incident and every time he wants me to explain.
“It hurts me so bad because when he does, I am reminded of the incident but he is only a child and there is nothing I can do but explain to him,” Sgt Moyo said.
She said she continues to be stressed on a daily basis and every time she walks in and around the city, people suspect that she could have been a victim of domestic violence or was attacked in an adulterous relationship.
“When some people look at me, they would start whispering that hot water was poured on me after being caught, they think that maybe I was caught red handed have an affair with a married man.
“Others also have their own perceptions,” she said.
Sgt Moyo applauded the ZRP for continuing to support them.
Recently the two were in South Africa where they were being treated.
“We feel that the force is our second home and it continues to comfort us,” said Sgt Moyo.
She urged the public not to attack officers when carrying out their duties as they are there to preserve peace countrywide.
ZRP medical director Senior Assistant Commissioner (Dr) Annamore Jamu said Sergeants Moyo and Rushwaya sustained serious injuries during the attack.
“There are three degrees of burns and the two sustained all of them,” she said. She said the first degree is when skin is taken off and it is also painful as it exposes the nerves under the skin while the second degree is when the burns are deeper than the first one. The third degree is the deepest were muscles and bones can be exposed. On this stage skin would be grafted with a flap of skin being taken from the thighs to patch the affected areas. Dr Jamu said the two would remain uncomfortable since their nervous system was disturbed and sometimes they feel pain. She said the two had post traumatic syndrome.
“It depends with the degree of suffering, how strong, and the copying mechanisms. The post traumatic syndrome is not easy to manage,” she said.
Dr Jamu said the two officers also lost their dignity when they were in hospital for several months and sometimes they were naked. She said they would continue to support the two, giving them medication and psychologically.
“The two have so many questions that are unanswered and would visit the hospital almost every time,” Dr Jamu said.
She said they could not do some of the things in time to treat the policewomen as most of their hospitals were not functioning well as a result of the illegal economic sanctions.
“We had to find other ways which made all the processes longer, to try and correct what had been done by the burns.
“Because we could not manage to get all the equipment we needed to treat these two policewomen because of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country, hampering all our operations,” she said.
Dr Jamu said as a result of Sgts Moyo and Rushwaya’s injuries, they had to transfer them to the Criminal Investigations Department where they will not wear any uniform.
This was because the force’s uniforms would expose their scars.
[email protected]