News / National
Murdered Lucia Duve remembered
03 Dec 2018 at 08:25hrs | Views
Hundreds of mourners gathered at St Mary's Cathedral Basilica Parish in Bulawayo yesterday as hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their last respects to Lucia Duve (37) who lost her life in an alleged attack by her boyfriend Tashinga Musonza (29) in Gweru last Monday.
Leading gender activist Lucy Mazingi wrote an emotive obituary dedicated to the slain lawyer. We publish the obituary below:
When l saw your name- a name l shared with you inscribed in those beautiful flowers on your grave , my heart sank and l am very angry and sad that this happened to you - young female lawyer who defended many people in their quest for justice , That you were murdered at a time when we are commemorating 16 days of activism against gender based violence .That as your friends we let you down , that maybe we could have done something to save you .
That picture on your grave got me thinking that it could have been ME.
When a partner threatens to shoot you and then one day pushes you out of a moving vehicle and you survive , go make a police report take the matter right up to court trial and sentencing . Many people around you take this lightly except your mother whom you are made to believe is overprotective and overreacting , that she is a drama Queen.
Some of his friends and relatives will blame you for allowing the courts to give this guy a criminal record , that you could have withdrawn the case let alone never reported the matter . The media never picks up the story and the other part of you is glad because this will not be good for your imagine as a feminist - "feminists are not supposed to be this vulnerable."
The guy keeps coming back begging for forgiveness and promising not to do it again . The one part of you wants to forgive ,next time he beats you and your gut feeling tells you that this guy will one day kill you , you recall all the stories you have heard about women got killed by their lovers , but maybe not, maybe this one is not capable of killing me , he LOVES ME , until today when you see Your Name inscribed on a Grave in beautiful flowers - then you know he can kill you , that no matter your social standing in society , how many laws the state has in place , not even 16 days of activism against gender based violence campaigns , will save you .
Speak up , share those weird experiences , listen to your gut feeling , get out of an abusive relationship, they will not stop until they give you the last flowers to be put on your grave. If it has happened to other women including LUCY , it can happen to you too .#MeToo, If there is one thing we can do for you Lucy is to continue to speak against GBV , share our testimonies , above all continue to seek justice.
Leading gender activist Lucy Mazingi wrote an emotive obituary dedicated to the slain lawyer. We publish the obituary below:
When l saw your name- a name l shared with you inscribed in those beautiful flowers on your grave , my heart sank and l am very angry and sad that this happened to you - young female lawyer who defended many people in their quest for justice , That you were murdered at a time when we are commemorating 16 days of activism against gender based violence .That as your friends we let you down , that maybe we could have done something to save you .
That picture on your grave got me thinking that it could have been ME.
Some of his friends and relatives will blame you for allowing the courts to give this guy a criminal record , that you could have withdrawn the case let alone never reported the matter . The media never picks up the story and the other part of you is glad because this will not be good for your imagine as a feminist - "feminists are not supposed to be this vulnerable."
The guy keeps coming back begging for forgiveness and promising not to do it again . The one part of you wants to forgive ,next time he beats you and your gut feeling tells you that this guy will one day kill you , you recall all the stories you have heard about women got killed by their lovers , but maybe not, maybe this one is not capable of killing me , he LOVES ME , until today when you see Your Name inscribed on a Grave in beautiful flowers - then you know he can kill you , that no matter your social standing in society , how many laws the state has in place , not even 16 days of activism against gender based violence campaigns , will save you .
Speak up , share those weird experiences , listen to your gut feeling , get out of an abusive relationship, they will not stop until they give you the last flowers to be put on your grave. If it has happened to other women including LUCY , it can happen to you too .#MeToo, If there is one thing we can do for you Lucy is to continue to speak against GBV , share our testimonies , above all continue to seek justice.
Source - Byo24News
