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Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has said it is astonished by claims by the Minister of Justice, Ziyambi Ziyambi that the Zimbabwe Republic Police “is facing resistance” in investigating the case of a 14-year-old girl, Memory Machaya who died while giving birth at an Apostolic Church shrine in Marange early this month (August 2021).
CiZC said it is shocking that law enforcement agents mandated to maintain law and order as well as protection of fundamental rights, including those of the girl child, would claim to face resistance in a case of such magnitude; a case that has attracted worldwide condemnation when the perpetrators are well-known individuals.
The human rights and equality advocates argue that the case of the late Memory Machaya is a litmus test in as far as the government of Zimbabwe’s commitment to the protection of the girl child is concerned and the recent claim by the country’s Justice Minister ranks the country lowly in terms of protecting the girl child.
“It is shocking that police in Zimbabwe have often responded with brute force against citizens calling for economic, political, and electoral reforms yet they have developed a lackadaisical approach in the case of Memory Machaya. There can never be any excuse on the issue of Memory Machaya whom we know had been married off to a man named Evans Momberume,” CiZC said in a statement.
Of late, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has carried out successful operations against armed robbers around the country. To CiZC, it boggles the mind that the ZRP would fail to act against alleged shrine rapists that are well known.
Over the years, there has been an unholy alliance between Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu PF, and a number of Apostolic sects with the former campaigning for the ruling party during elections. This has allowed the Apostolic sects to violate the rights of girls and women with impunity.
“That unholy alliance must be broken! The rights of the girl child are sacrosanct and should never be compromised as a result of the lust for political support and power. As it stands, the girl child in Zimbabwe is at the mercy of unscrupulous church leaders and the government. Women and girls’ safety should never be exchanged for power. The case of the late Memory should be the starting point of a series of clampdowns against Apostolic Churches violating the rights of the girl child.
“We demand that all perpetrators (around the country) be brought to book without fear or favour. We call upon progressive Zimbabweans to continue to pile pressure on the government using all constitutional means, including peaceful protests until justice for Memory Machaya and other victims is served,” CiZC added..
