The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
AN Iminyela family in Bulawayo is appealing for assistance in locating their 34-year-old relative who reportedly went into hiding after making allegations of rape and sexual abuse.
Talent Tshabangu’s aunt, who declined to be named, fearing victimization said her niece disappeared after she had had confided to her church members that she had been continually harassed and raped by people believed to be linked to the ruling Zanu PF party.
Washington Sikhosana
Tshabangu is reportedly married to Washington Sikhosana, a member of the Mthwakazi Republic Party, who was involved in recruiting members for the party in Ntabazinduna.
Sikhosana is also said to have disappeared in March amid reports that the police were looking for him for questioning on his activities.
Talent and her child
Narrating the harrowing account, Tshabangu’s aunt revealed that after the disappearance of her husband she had moved to Iminyela where here nine months from hell were to begin.
“I only got to know what was happening in my niece’s life after her disappearance and her church members approached me telling me the sad story. My niece told them that for some reason, some people thought she was aware where her husband was, they dismissed any account that she explained especially considering that Sikhosana had just disappeared in March, with the police coming to look for him at our homestead later the same day he disappeared.
“She told her church mates that she was beaten in front of her child and the neighbours could not do much as these people were in police uniform. She further told them that after the attack, one of the assailants returned to her house on a later day, initially accusing her of hiding her husband before raping her, as her child slept. The assailant, threatened her that if she told anyone then both her and her child would be in danger,” said the aunt.
She revealed that after the initial attack, the rapist would come back on numerous occasions to the house where he would sexually attack Tshabangu.
“It is a painful because, my niece could not runaway or report the matter to the police as she said this man told her that he was well connected and could not do anything to deter him. At times he would even rape her in front of the child which is traumatizing to say the least.
“Now, she has disappeared, we do not know whether she was picked up by these unknown assailants or what, we are at a loss, we do not know where my niece is and we are appealing to anyone with information that might lead us to her,” said the aunt.
The police declined to comment on the matter.
