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because she dared to stand before the courts to challenge and terminate a marriage she saw as an illegal one as she was also married to the same man.
What is very disturbing is the deathly silence that has come and engulfed civil society groups especially those which purport to support the rights of women.
The deafening silence coming from these donor funded women groups clearly expose them for what they really stand for.
These women “emanci­pators” are no more than fraudsters who are out to make a quick buck.
The biggest problem faced by these Western funded women’s groups in Zimbabwe is that most of these civil society groups do not comprise vol­untary civic and social organisations and institu­tions, but are more of donor driven, donor-minded and politically motivated pressure groups.
From mere observation it cannot be disputed that most of these women groups are more interested in cas­tigating and vilifying those aligned to Zanu-PF than those in the two MDC formations. These are completely pseudo-movements that purport to work for the emancipa­tion of both rural and urban women since they are more inclined to the MDC cause.
A simple survey we carried out in two rural and urban areas clearly shows that most of the women at the grassroots are not very much aware of the existence and even functions of these women pressure groups.
Most of these Western funded civic groups are to a larger extent more concerned with the interests of the foreign funded political parties as well as their foreign handlers than the disadvantaged rural and urban women.
Arguably, vulnerable groups that are supposed to be served by these women pressure groups are ignored and left to be at the messy of those who exploit them because of their femininity.
The days of women like Joyce Kazembe, Josephine Nhongo Simbanegavi who genuinely wrote about the plight of African women are long gone.
What we now have are a bunch of MDC-centric and mind concocted women movements which are more interested in supporting neo-liberal politics as well as vilifying those women they hate and nothing else.
Karimatsenga, just like any other woman, deserved a lot of support from these false defend­ers of women’s rights. In the Wazara versus Belvedere Teachers’ College case, various women groups rallied behind her until she won her case resoundingly.
This was a great victory for most women who had been victims of such draconian legislation which had denied most of their col­leagues the right to carry on with their studies at tertiary institutions after falling pregnant.
Kari­matsenga through her unwavering brilliant lawyers should be praised for challenging Prime Minister Tsvangirai over the issue of customary marriage. This heroine also broke new ground for most women who had been disad­vantaged over the years on issues to do with the African tradi­tional marriage.
Her courage to challenge his male chauvinist husband, a politi­cian holding a high post in Government actually ushered a paradigm shift regarding African values and beliefs versus the Roman-Dutch laws which tended to be seen as being superior to African traditional laws. 
Without the support of single women’s grouping she single-handedly and bravely fought against a formidable opponent whose financial sta­tus and political stamina would have obliterated and erased everything she stood for.
Fortunately, God was on her side, it is for all to see that truth crushed to the ground will always rise. This indeed, is a time for all Zimbabwean women, whether from the two MDC camps, Zanu-PF, Mavambo, Zapu and other political parties to salute this courageous woman.
Her bravery transcends tribe and political party. She is a new symbol of hope, an oasis in the desert and a beacon of hope for all oppressed Zim­babwean woman. Like the Unknown Soldier buried at the National Heroes Acre she has become everyone’s sister, aunt, mother and granny. She has become a female icon in the eyes of all progressive Africans.
The donor funded media and western funded pseudo-women movements will never take this away from her no matter how they might try to rubbish her as to please their local and foreign handlers.
The way the private media vilified Karimatsenga by taking sides with the Prime Minister showed how unprofessional these donor funded mouth-pieces have become.
The biases were glaringly irri­tating showing how the “independent media” has been turned into an MDC cam­paigning tool and mouth piece. There wasn’t anything objective in their reportage of the Karimatsenga case.
John Stu­art Mill points out that if all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silenc­ing mankind.
The private media sought to sup­press Karimatsenga’s single voice yet her side of the story also deserved to be heard.
According to Mill, “the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race, pos­terity as well as the existing generation — those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and live­lier impression of truth produced by its collision with error.”
The donor funded civic groups and their acolytes in the private media were trying to silence Locardia of her own side of the story and this in a way was going to rob Zimbabwean women, as well as the existing generations of young women and also those who are yet to be born an opposing voice regarding the way traditional marriage was being belittled by Zimbabwean laws.
Her rebel­lious voice, a lone voice in the cus­tomary marriage “wilderness” proved to be right against the myriad of opponents from the donor funded “evil” society.
Had this disagreeing voice of hers been suppressed then future generations would have been denied a great opportunity of correcting a long held error for the truth. Even if Karimatsenga had lost her case that in itself would have still set a precedent on how to improve on traditional law as to emanci­pate Zimbabwean and other African women from some draconian clauses of the Roman-Dutch laws.
What the private media should take note of from the Karimatsenga case is that no one will ever be sure whether the voice or opinion they will be try­ing to silence is a false opinion and even if they were sure, silencing Locardia’s opinion would still have been a cruel thing to do.
In the case of Kari­matsenga, the opinion to be silenced proved to be the truth. The private media which desired to sup­press her opinion of course was refuting the truth and in no way is the private media infallible.
Another very interesting scenario in the Kari­matsenga case is how those who purport to be the champions of democracy and rule of law are now appearing to be the culprits who are wantonly vio­lating these principles. The rule of law entails that no one is above the law.
However, it now seems that there are some bipeds that are more equal than others. The very essence of the rule of law requires very fair legal frameworks that are enforced impar­tially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities.
Lorcadia, just like any other Zim­babwean citizen, also had a right to have her rights protected by Zimbabwe’s legal system. In the Karimatsenga case it was more like those with political muscle and stamina are to be exempted from Zimbabwe’s municipal law as if they fall in the category of foreign diplomats who are immune to the laws of the host country.
We strongly believe that no Zimbabwean is above the law and the law should never be applied selec­tively. As Zimbabweans we also need to sympathise with others even if they hold different opinions, values and beliefs from us. We should never let our politi­cal party biases get the better part of us especially when it comes to issues that might undermine other people’s rights.
It is a fact that when human beings enter into a marriage contract, be it a customary or a church wedding, this is a voluntary agreement between the parties involved and this is binding and must be respected regardless of one’s position or social standing in society.
People must not be allowed to pursue their own selfish self-interests at the detri­ment of others. It is crystal clear from the Karimat­senga case that law courts can be used as a sword of the downtrodden women to defend themselves and guarantee order.  It is a fact and morally right to forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, what befell our honourable Prime Minister is nothing, but the tragedy of life of a man who is afraid of the light.

Bowden Mbanje and Darlington Mahuku are lecturers at Bindura University of Science Education.