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South African Broadcasting Corporation Copyright ©
2000 - 2005 SABC |
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this
Tuesday October 7, 2003, SABC 3 at 9h30 pm -
"In
a dark time"
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For centuries women have
been raped as an act of violence and a demonstration of
power - most especially in times of war. The world
saw how mass rape was used as a sophisticated weapon of
war in conflicts like Bosnia and Rwanda: to spread the
terror, to create fear in communities and to force
people to change their political beliefs. Zimbabwe
is no different. For the first time since
independence, the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC),
led by Morgan Tsvangirai, posed a serious challenge to
Mugabe's twenty-three year rule of the country.
And the government responded with violence.
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Since the parliamentary
elections in June 2000, thousands of Zimbabwean women
have been subjected to sexual violence. This has been
carried out by members of the youth militia, ZANU (PF)
supporters and it's alleged, state agents. Rape
has been used to further one political goal, and that is
to silence the opposition and maintain ZANU (PF)'s power
in the government.
Women have been targeted
because they are activists, or because a member of their
family - a husband, brother or father - is involved with
the opposition party. They are told that they are
being raped because of their political beliefs.
This week's Special Assignment looks at the issue
through the eyes of three women, who were raped during
the violence that followed the Presidential Election in
March last year. Although very damaged
individuals, they are not destroyed and theirs is a
story of enormous courage and survival.
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page by Steven
Lang
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