Feminists see red in MaPecca saga

FEMINISM and pettiness has no room in the fight for justice, infuriated social media users have said as the debate on the death of Bulawayo artiste Tawanda "MaPecca" Moyo goes on.

While the former Siyaya member was laid to rest last Sunday in dramatic fashion with his body passing through the business premises of businessman Oricios "Oros" Moyo in the city centre, who stands accused of murdering him, and the gun totting Moyo now languishing in remand prison on murder charges, the debate has refused to die down.

So many questions are yet to be answered, with the main question, probably on everyone's mind being where is the wife/widow Jacqueline Chesigelenaso (Banda) Moyo and what has been done by police in finding out what really transpired on the night MaPecca was shot by his wife's alleged lover, Moyo. Moreso, the woman at the centre of the controversy has not spoken publicly about the issue, but is said to be in the country after allegedly spending a few weeks in neighbouring South Africa.

While MaPecca's wife has had no backers, apart from a female relative who took to social media to fight on her corner, some feminists have come to the fore, and sought to "defend" Jacqueline. They argued on social media that she was answerable to "nobody" and that if indeed they had divorced as some people had claimed, then she was free to hook up with the businessman, who apparently is her employer as well.

One Facebook user wrote: "A reasonable person does not get caught with someone's wife and react in this manner. This is not reasonable behaviour.

There is more to this story. I appreciate its emotional. But the truth will be revealed in court. As a woman, I'm disappointed that anger seems to be directed more to the woman than the killer. She may be morally wrong. But she didn't kill this man. And for those who will say her affair led to the killing I still don't agree. It's not reasonable to shoot someone because of infidelity. This boils down to the two men. Something happened there and it will be revealed."

In response to that another commented " . . . a lot of questions have been raised and ignored, painful as it is, there is more to this story than is being said! Ngumfazi bani ongatshiya INDODA YAKHE phansi, bleeding?? Asazi."

". . . People are concentrating on the fact that she allegedly cheated and are neglecting important issues here. My sister can't put on Facebook that I'm divorced and people dispute that. Surely she would know better than the public. Lapha emotions are overtaking this matter. I understand, however, a person can't be convicted on emotions."

Another Facebook user then responded: "how can you be divorced and still stay in the same house?"

"Who seeks relevance over such a sensitive issue? We are talking about death, which was caused by infidelity here. There is no room for your injudicious and vile thoughts here. How can you condone unfaithfulness? You are just a group of unsympathetic and pathetic women who can't find love and find solace in sharing your reckless thoughts with the world. Respect the community and be cultured, this is not Europe.

#JusticeforMaPecca," fumed another user.

"I swear I will pull up on you. You seriously can't be saying such nonsense here when we are mourning our brother. You, just like his wife are the reason there is so much infidelity. If you are a woman you need to know that a man is the head of the house and a woman must submit to him. It is said so in the Bible. These foreign concepts that some of you women have adopted are the reason why things boil down to such phenomenons. We are Africans and must be proud of our culture. This nonsense that some of you are saying that this woman has nothing to answer is just a putrid pile of vomit," said a livid user.

Artistes and the general public have since demanded that the "law be fair" in the case.

"If MaPecca had died on the night he was shot he would probably have been labelled an armed robber — that's what the businessman who shot him wanted the police and everyone to believe. "Fortunately, he lived (just for a month) to tell his side of the story. He was no armed robber. He had gone to the businessman's house to confront him about the affair he was having with his wife. In that confrontation he was shot. Today, as we mourn his sudden and untimely death — we scream for justice. MaPecca was murdered. That's the long and short of it. And we demand justice," said an artiste.

When the artiste was shot at the entrance of the businessman's house at Emganwini, the businessman, Moyo, claimed MaPecca wanted to rob him. He however, died after medical personnel conducted an operation on him to remove a bullet lodged inside his body. The businessman then had his charge altered from attempted murder to murder, and has since been remanded to 19 September by a Bulawayo magistrate.

MaPecca revealed in an exclusive interview with this publication that he followed his wife after she knocked off from work and eventually caught up with her with her boss (Moyo) while waiting for the gate to the house of the businessman to be opened. That is when he confronted him and got shot.

On the other hand, Moyo claimed the deceased, who was using a car with two other occupants, wanted to rob him. He has not yet confirmed or denied that he had an affair with the deceased's wife.