News / International
Woman 'gang-raped' for not being a Zanu-PF card holder
12 Oct 2013 at 06:21hrs | Views
'I am too scared. I have nightmares every week' - Chelesile Ncube ©Zimdiaspora Photo
THE agonizing experience of Chelesile Ncube in Zimbabwe in 2003 depicts an untold story of brutality against women as it veils stories of mass rape and abuse when a political order breaks down.
Ncube survived a three-day rape ordeal under the hands of the men she has never met before in Zimbabwe's Plumtree area - now she is campaigning for justice, and insisted someone must be brought a court of law, ZimDiaspora reported.
The Zimdiaspora tracked down Ncube, a single mother of two who says she suffered the most horrific rape ordeal for three consecutive nights in March 2003 after being kidnapped in the presence of her mum and dad and children.
She still shows signs of fear and seems she does not trust anyone now around her. She looks terrified and stammers a lot when she speaks. She has become unable to construct a meaningful and logical conversation.
All this, it will appear is Ncube was not born with it, but acquired it on the night of March 2003 when three unidentified gunmen burst into her home and kidnapped her before making her a sex slave for three nights in the dangerous bushy areas of Plumtree South-West Zimbabwe.
"They came over at about 9pm. They woke us up and demanded ZANU-PF cards. Lucky enough my mum and dad had them as a matter of precaution and survival. I did not. This was my problem," she said tearfully.
"They told me to accompany them when my father asked where they were taking me at that part of the night, they said she will be back soon we just want to check some few issues as she doesn't have a ZANU-PF card,"
The year 2003 was the time when the MDC was taking Zimbabwe by storm and Mugabe's ZANU-PF had reached a panic mode. Possession of a ZANU-PF card meant that one will access socioeconomic resources easier, and most importantly, one would not be persecuted by state and non-state actors.
"Once outside, I noticed all three of them had pistols, they shove me in a van they had left parked outside the yard. They drove to the bush about 10 miles away from my village. Suddenly, they stopped in the middle of the bush and took turns to rape me. What is depressing is that all three did not dare use condoms,"
"They looked like vicious animals. After raping me they chained me to the trunk of a huge tree and drove off. In the following morning they turned up with a can of water and soap. They asked me to wash thoroughly. After washing they started raping me again and it happened for three excruciating nights. On the third day, they came drunk, very drunk and started drinking while taking turns on me. At this point I was unchained and they were drinking as well and they had become so relaxed. Within the blink of an eye, I took a chance and took to heels,"
"Surprisingly they did not chase after me for a long time. I straight away walked towards the Zimbabwe-South Africa border which was nearby and then illegally crossed the border to South Africa. I was tired and smelling, but a Good Samaritan offered me a lift and drove me all the way Johannesburg to my relative's house who then immediately took me to hospital. I underwent medical examination and was told I had tested positive to pregnancy which with my consent the doctor terminated. I then made arrangements to fly to the UK as I was so scared that these people who had brutalised me would follow me," she said.
Reeling from her savagery experiences, Ncube is a terrified human being and vows she would never return to Zimbabwe even when Mugabe has gone.
"I am too scared. I have nightmares every week," she said.
Ncube now lives in Leeds, Britain where she has become part of an organisation called Zimbabwe Lets Unite (ZLU). The organisation has no political aspirations, but campaigns for the arrest of President Mugabe for "crimes against humanity" committed against civilians.
Chelesile needs someone to listen to her carefully to what she has to say. She reflects a refuge for the pain of those who have no internal 'shelter' of their own. It also shows that her mental processing is distracted through experiences of unspeakable trauma, a trauma that has no framework in time nor words with which to express it.
Ncube survived a three-day rape ordeal under the hands of the men she has never met before in Zimbabwe's Plumtree area - now she is campaigning for justice, and insisted someone must be brought a court of law, ZimDiaspora reported.
The Zimdiaspora tracked down Ncube, a single mother of two who says she suffered the most horrific rape ordeal for three consecutive nights in March 2003 after being kidnapped in the presence of her mum and dad and children.
She still shows signs of fear and seems she does not trust anyone now around her. She looks terrified and stammers a lot when she speaks. She has become unable to construct a meaningful and logical conversation.
All this, it will appear is Ncube was not born with it, but acquired it on the night of March 2003 when three unidentified gunmen burst into her home and kidnapped her before making her a sex slave for three nights in the dangerous bushy areas of Plumtree South-West Zimbabwe.
"They came over at about 9pm. They woke us up and demanded ZANU-PF cards. Lucky enough my mum and dad had them as a matter of precaution and survival. I did not. This was my problem," she said tearfully.
"They told me to accompany them when my father asked where they were taking me at that part of the night, they said she will be back soon we just want to check some few issues as she doesn't have a ZANU-PF card,"
"Once outside, I noticed all three of them had pistols, they shove me in a van they had left parked outside the yard. They drove to the bush about 10 miles away from my village. Suddenly, they stopped in the middle of the bush and took turns to rape me. What is depressing is that all three did not dare use condoms,"
"They looked like vicious animals. After raping me they chained me to the trunk of a huge tree and drove off. In the following morning they turned up with a can of water and soap. They asked me to wash thoroughly. After washing they started raping me again and it happened for three excruciating nights. On the third day, they came drunk, very drunk and started drinking while taking turns on me. At this point I was unchained and they were drinking as well and they had become so relaxed. Within the blink of an eye, I took a chance and took to heels,"
"Surprisingly they did not chase after me for a long time. I straight away walked towards the Zimbabwe-South Africa border which was nearby and then illegally crossed the border to South Africa. I was tired and smelling, but a Good Samaritan offered me a lift and drove me all the way Johannesburg to my relative's house who then immediately took me to hospital. I underwent medical examination and was told I had tested positive to pregnancy which with my consent the doctor terminated. I then made arrangements to fly to the UK as I was so scared that these people who had brutalised me would follow me," she said.
Reeling from her savagery experiences, Ncube is a terrified human being and vows she would never return to Zimbabwe even when Mugabe has gone.
"I am too scared. I have nightmares every week," she said.
Ncube now lives in Leeds, Britain where she has become part of an organisation called Zimbabwe Lets Unite (ZLU). The organisation has no political aspirations, but campaigns for the arrest of President Mugabe for "crimes against humanity" committed against civilians.
Chelesile needs someone to listen to her carefully to what she has to say. She reflects a refuge for the pain of those who have no internal 'shelter' of their own. It also shows that her mental processing is distracted through experiences of unspeakable trauma, a trauma that has no framework in time nor words with which to express it.
Source - ZimDiaspora
