Opinion / Columnist
Celebrating 10 years of selective activism and ticking boxes!
26 May 2025 at 22:15hrs | Views
It pains me when I find myself critiquing Zimbabwean women, especially organisations that want bring change in our broken-down system of fighting gender violence. Sometimes I find it inappropriate to respond to some of their media information, giving contra to what ZGC is doing on the ground. I have learnt to suffer in silence: Never contradict ZGC because some cases are beyond them! I doubt if it's the correct attitude to fear to critique ZGC for selecting cases they want to represent. Selecting cases that you want to represent does not constitute activism. It's sugar-coating or giving a pig a lipstick and hiding behind a finger and they say, "WE ARE DOING SOMETHING! a box is ticked. That does not constitute activism, it does not give a good impression of sincerity in the work they do.
Dear ZGC, I am talking about Merry Chiwenga, the former wife to the second civil servant of the nation. Why is Merry Chiwenga not given the attention she deserves? Merry languished in remand prison, she has been in and out of courts; in and out of hospital; lost limbs and still asked to attend Kangaroo court hearings. Nothing on the ground suggests to the nation and internationally that you are assisting her in her convoluted court case. Have you taken sides in her case against Chiwenga, blaming the victim. You cannot be judges and advocate at the same time. These are two juxtapositioned job descriptions in court. Have you judged Merry and found her guilty and concluded, she will not get assistance from ZGC? ZGC does not engage Merry's case against the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe? Is it beyond your pay grade? Adult women in Zimbabwe are found wanting me included! Paradoxically, this VP is about to be made President after Mnangagwa. What a ruthless man, satanic; he still manages to go to the catholic church to pray: Has been to Rome to witness new Pope's inauguration: this is our world full of contradictions. Just saying.
ZGC's silence on Merry's case is very loud and compelling, and even questioning sincerity of ZGC practices to fight gender justice in our societies. Why are you targeting soft cases, not also hard cases of Marry and Constantine Chiwenga? Is it fear? In the lexicon, the word fear, does not exist in activism. ZGC organization enjoys international recognition. It is all evident that they fear President Chiwenga. They would rather target soft cases than face the wrath of Chiwenga, that Idi Amin angry face cannot be simply taken to court by ZGC and survived. Chiwenga is an angry man especially on women. This is the moment they must have prepared a case and send to the UN, not to embarrass Chiwenga per se, but seeking true justice for Merry and her children; children who have not seen their mother for the past 5 years. It is horrendous enough that children are denied their rights by a civil servant that should uphold the law of the land, giving dignity to his children at least to visit their mother.
ZGC is a women's organization that has the mandate to seriously investigate Merry and her children's deprivation of justice, vehemently. Their fear of confronting such cases and giving them international recognition made them lose enormous credibility. Merry's case demands international jurisdiction masterminded by ZGC, an internationally recognized institution. The African Union and the UN- General Secretary, Mr. Guterres must be informed act on behalf of ZGC: a horrendous gender-based violence by VP Chiwenga, a second top civil servant. How does ZGC address GBV effectively if they carefully select cases they want to deal with because they are easy to handle? I will never trivialize the amount of work ZGC is doing on the ground. I am writing this article because I have been reading today's article written by Gideon Madzikatidze on Bulawayo 24, a well written article indeed. However, many cases of sexual violence have been lingering on our social media. Prophet Magaya, a misogynist, has been abusing girls from poor backgrounds for years. It's encouraging all the same that such cases are carefully looking into, to seek justice. The least demanded from justice systems is that such criminals must be removed from the public to ensure safe places for women and girls.
ZGC is celebrating 10 years od its existence. It has 38 cases to be attended by courts. Are 38 cases all there is? What we read from social media is horrendous. Cases of girl-children abused by guardians are horrendous. Old women who live alone in rural areas are targeted by young men and are raped. Old women who suffer dementia, who live in rural arears are sentenced to death: They live alone, will want to use a toilet, will find it difficult to locate their way back to the hut. They are called witches when found wearing their birth suits and are hacked to death. Our societies are said to have the highest literacy in Africa: In 2025, they do not know the prevalence of dementia in old age. They believe in witchcraft; a medieval belief still embedded in most societies.
Christianity is playing havoc in our societies. Religion is a money-making syndicate, never a virtue it was purported to be. I have relatives who left teaching because they thought owning a church and start preaching has more financial benefits than teaching. Because they are fake from the onset: they are selling blessings for them to become rich; they sexually abuse vulnerable women and girls; sexual advances packaged together with blessings-enterprise. ZGC is following such crime scenes, exposing those whose pulpits have turned into brothels. Your work here is commendable. However, I have problems with your claim that even those near the corridors of powers will face equal justice. ZGC is where they lose it. I will quote Sangarwe here: she said, "their battle to bring gender justice on issues revolving around sexual exploitation and abuse either at the pulpit or adjacent to clergy with their congregants will be dealt with indiscriminately regardless of one's proximity to political elites or connections with justice delivery architecture" Sangarwe is not lying; however, her statement is not true. Regardless of one's proximity to political elites or connections with justice delivery architecture, to say this much is wholly duplicitous. We have Merry's case that involves the top civil servant, President Mnangagwa: Merry Chiwenga has a long running case with Vice President. Why is ZGC openly avoiding a case so obvious? Then they go for soft cases of Magaya who fell out of grace from political powers that be; only now, Magaya can be prosecuted by the courts. In this case ZGC will win soundingly and will tick a box; another case solved by ZGC. We are bamboozled right left and center. ZGC is a comfortable organization, non-confrontational, doing undemanding work to remain politically correct in the eyes of the political establishment.
The fact that this organization exists in Zimbabwe is a good thing. ZGC is doing what it can in their power. It would be something different if there was no semblance of GBV activists without any records on the gr cases related to abuse of women and girls. This factually means that our coming generation will not start from Zero but are taking GBV from existing level to a much higher level. Thanks to ZGC, it is not frozen in time: in all other things being equal, it is therefore legit to celebrate 10 years of its existence to keep the candle burning. ZGC is more performative than genuine defenders of safety for women and girls. Our girl-children will redefine how ZGC will in future focus on and transcend the detail.
Dear ZGC, I am talking about Merry Chiwenga, the former wife to the second civil servant of the nation. Why is Merry Chiwenga not given the attention she deserves? Merry languished in remand prison, she has been in and out of courts; in and out of hospital; lost limbs and still asked to attend Kangaroo court hearings. Nothing on the ground suggests to the nation and internationally that you are assisting her in her convoluted court case. Have you taken sides in her case against Chiwenga, blaming the victim. You cannot be judges and advocate at the same time. These are two juxtapositioned job descriptions in court. Have you judged Merry and found her guilty and concluded, she will not get assistance from ZGC? ZGC does not engage Merry's case against the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe? Is it beyond your pay grade? Adult women in Zimbabwe are found wanting me included! Paradoxically, this VP is about to be made President after Mnangagwa. What a ruthless man, satanic; he still manages to go to the catholic church to pray: Has been to Rome to witness new Pope's inauguration: this is our world full of contradictions. Just saying.
ZGC's silence on Merry's case is very loud and compelling, and even questioning sincerity of ZGC practices to fight gender justice in our societies. Why are you targeting soft cases, not also hard cases of Marry and Constantine Chiwenga? Is it fear? In the lexicon, the word fear, does not exist in activism. ZGC organization enjoys international recognition. It is all evident that they fear President Chiwenga. They would rather target soft cases than face the wrath of Chiwenga, that Idi Amin angry face cannot be simply taken to court by ZGC and survived. Chiwenga is an angry man especially on women. This is the moment they must have prepared a case and send to the UN, not to embarrass Chiwenga per se, but seeking true justice for Merry and her children; children who have not seen their mother for the past 5 years. It is horrendous enough that children are denied their rights by a civil servant that should uphold the law of the land, giving dignity to his children at least to visit their mother.
ZGC is a women's organization that has the mandate to seriously investigate Merry and her children's deprivation of justice, vehemently. Their fear of confronting such cases and giving them international recognition made them lose enormous credibility. Merry's case demands international jurisdiction masterminded by ZGC, an internationally recognized institution. The African Union and the UN- General Secretary, Mr. Guterres must be informed act on behalf of ZGC: a horrendous gender-based violence by VP Chiwenga, a second top civil servant. How does ZGC address GBV effectively if they carefully select cases they want to deal with because they are easy to handle? I will never trivialize the amount of work ZGC is doing on the ground. I am writing this article because I have been reading today's article written by Gideon Madzikatidze on Bulawayo 24, a well written article indeed. However, many cases of sexual violence have been lingering on our social media. Prophet Magaya, a misogynist, has been abusing girls from poor backgrounds for years. It's encouraging all the same that such cases are carefully looking into, to seek justice. The least demanded from justice systems is that such criminals must be removed from the public to ensure safe places for women and girls.
ZGC is celebrating 10 years od its existence. It has 38 cases to be attended by courts. Are 38 cases all there is? What we read from social media is horrendous. Cases of girl-children abused by guardians are horrendous. Old women who live alone in rural areas are targeted by young men and are raped. Old women who suffer dementia, who live in rural arears are sentenced to death: They live alone, will want to use a toilet, will find it difficult to locate their way back to the hut. They are called witches when found wearing their birth suits and are hacked to death. Our societies are said to have the highest literacy in Africa: In 2025, they do not know the prevalence of dementia in old age. They believe in witchcraft; a medieval belief still embedded in most societies.
Christianity is playing havoc in our societies. Religion is a money-making syndicate, never a virtue it was purported to be. I have relatives who left teaching because they thought owning a church and start preaching has more financial benefits than teaching. Because they are fake from the onset: they are selling blessings for them to become rich; they sexually abuse vulnerable women and girls; sexual advances packaged together with blessings-enterprise. ZGC is following such crime scenes, exposing those whose pulpits have turned into brothels. Your work here is commendable. However, I have problems with your claim that even those near the corridors of powers will face equal justice. ZGC is where they lose it. I will quote Sangarwe here: she said, "their battle to bring gender justice on issues revolving around sexual exploitation and abuse either at the pulpit or adjacent to clergy with their congregants will be dealt with indiscriminately regardless of one's proximity to political elites or connections with justice delivery architecture" Sangarwe is not lying; however, her statement is not true. Regardless of one's proximity to political elites or connections with justice delivery architecture, to say this much is wholly duplicitous. We have Merry's case that involves the top civil servant, President Mnangagwa: Merry Chiwenga has a long running case with Vice President. Why is ZGC openly avoiding a case so obvious? Then they go for soft cases of Magaya who fell out of grace from political powers that be; only now, Magaya can be prosecuted by the courts. In this case ZGC will win soundingly and will tick a box; another case solved by ZGC. We are bamboozled right left and center. ZGC is a comfortable organization, non-confrontational, doing undemanding work to remain politically correct in the eyes of the political establishment.
The fact that this organization exists in Zimbabwe is a good thing. ZGC is doing what it can in their power. It would be something different if there was no semblance of GBV activists without any records on the gr cases related to abuse of women and girls. This factually means that our coming generation will not start from Zero but are taking GBV from existing level to a much higher level. Thanks to ZGC, it is not frozen in time: in all other things being equal, it is therefore legit to celebrate 10 years of its existence to keep the candle burning. ZGC is more performative than genuine defenders of safety for women and girls. Our girl-children will redefine how ZGC will in future focus on and transcend the detail.
Source - Nomazulu Thata
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