A Grade Four learner at Kaitano Primary School in Nyanga District is heavily pregnant after she was sexually abused by her uncle, a cousin and a schoolmate.
The girl, who turned 13 on 6 January this year, is now six months pregnant.
In an interview, with the consent of her father, the girl said he was intimate with her uncle, who is in his late 40s; her 23-year-old cousin and a 15-year-old schoolmate.
The abusers were identified as Alison Mabvundisa, Joseph Mabota-Mabvumba, and a 15-year-old teenager (name withheld). The girl’s uncle is a known artisanal gold miner. It is believed that he sexually abused the girl to enhance his gold mining initiatives, a ritual act known as kupinga gomba.
The detestable practice is done with the help of traditional healers. Said the girl:
I slept with Baba vaTalent (Mabvundisa). This happened while I was alone at home. I also slept with my schoolmate (name withheld) and Joseph Mabota-Mabvumba.
In a separate interview, the Grade Four learner’s father, (name withheld to protect her identity) said:
We were informed of her pregnancy by the school authorities. In fact, we were summoned to the school and they told us that she is pregnant.
We are being assisted to handle the matter by a local childcare worker and we have been to the clinic with her. She is six months pregnant now. The school allowed her to continue attending lessons and will only be excused to give birth.
She will continue with her education soon afterward. Her uncle is said to be the one responsible for the pregnancy.
He said he has not talked to his brother about the issue as he is no longer coming to the area.
The local childcare worker, Dudzai Matiwenga told The Manica Post that the matter was reported to the police. She said:
I received the report of this child’s pregnancy after the school authorities referred her to the clinic. Teachers discovered that she is pregnant during a sports event.
When I contacted the Social Services Department, I was advised to take the child to the police. The father had to sell a goat to raise the bus fare for us to go to the police. Unfortunately, the child has difficulties explaining what really happened to her.
Two of the alleged perpetrators (the teenager and Mabota-Mabvumba) were initially arrested, but have since been released.
When we went to the clinic, we were told that it is too late to terminate the pregnancy.
The child said that she was in love with her schoolmate and Mabota-Mabvumba. She said the schoolmate was her long-time boyfriend. She said he would visit her at home and force her to be intimate with him several times.
She also said that she met Mabota-Mabvumba on her way from fetching water while he was going to the tuck shop. They got intimate that day. Later, the issue of her uncle, who is in his late 40s, then surfaced.
Matiwenga said she was now facing daily threats from the families of the accused persons. She said the situation has been compounded by the questionable mental state of the Grade Four learner and her parents.
