The Sunday News
Although a lot has been said about stepmothers who abuse children from their husband’s previous marriages it looks like we still have a lot of work to do as a country to bring this bad habit by step mothers to an end.
The country was recently shocked to hear that one of these stepmothers killed one infant in Mutasa district on the out skirts of Mutare after forcing the innocent child to drink a highly poisonous substance.
This is not the first time to hear such bad news because we once heard about women who were arrested after they burnt children from their husbands’ past marriages by forcing them to sit on very hot stoves. Some have even reached the point of pouring boiling water on the children as punishment. These wives always pretend to like these stepsons and stepdaughter when they come to join the family but surprisingly change and show their true colours later on.
These women must know that children are innocent and they cannot disturb the relationship between these women and their husbands. Some children are seen suffering at the hands of these greedy women and at times go for days without food.
You would not be surprised to see these women wearing uniforms going to church every Sunday. We feel churches should also play their role and make sure that they assist such desperate children and also report to police all cases of child abuse by these stepmothers.
We are surprised to hear that the Mutasa case has been going on for a long time now but people including close residents were just watching without doing anything. After killing the innocent child she tried to commit suicide by drinking the same poison but fortunately she was stopped by neighbours and was immediately arrested. I’m appealing to all stepmothers to love their stepchildren and treat them like their own children.
Worried parent, Bulawayo.
