The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
A 13-year-old girl has been the subject of abuse ever since she was six years old when her mother left her in the care of a villager in Woodendale area in Umguza, with the promise that she will pay for the upkeep of her daughter.
However, when the mother – a dancer who would travel with various bands providing entertainment – returned without the promised payment, the villager – Ms Selina Tshuma – who had been entrusted with the minor allegedly refused with her, which saw the beginning of a trail of abuse.
The mother of the child is alleged to have moved to Binga District where she died and her father also died in prison and no one knows where other relatives are. Ms Tshuma later fled the village, abandoning the child after she was alleged to have been involved in a murder case.
Since then the girl has been living at a home exposed to drug abusers and exposed to thieving and prostitution.
The girl has been living in the village occasionally fleeing from the abusive guardian who was left caring for her. It is also alleged that she attempted suicide at some point.
A Sunday News crew visited Village One in Woodendale and spoke to the village head, Mr Misheck Sibanda who has since taken the girl into his custody.
“This child came here when she was very young with her mother in 2014. The mother was a dancer who would move around with various bands. So, she settled here as there is an entertainment spot where she had found potential business.
“The mother left the child with a villager called Selina Tshuma, as she was now moving with the band and said she would come and fetch her child at a later date and pay for the upkeep of her child. On her return she was asked for money for the upkeep and she failed to pay and MaTshuma refused with the child, that is when the mother vanished,” said Mr Sibanda.
In 2016, Ms Tshuma reportedly left the village, passing on the child to an old woman who is a neighbour too.
“MaTshuma lived here but around 2008/2009 she was implicated in the murder of a young lady who they had accused of having a relationship with a married man in the community. They beat up the lady and she died, some of the accused fled but others remained. She attended court a few times and she then fled the village and left someone at her homestead. She went to South Africa as the law was probably closing in on her. Others involved in the case were cleared of the charges but she was not,” said Mr Sibanda.
The new guardian who was left with the child, however, constantly abused her, which saw the girl at times running away from the homestead.
“She was abused at that home and always would run away from that granny and live in the bushes. The last time she fled she hid at a nearby school and the teachers saw her and she explained that she was from village one and was being abused and beaten at the home.
“So they called me to the school and advised that I take her in as the local leader rather than allow her to go back to the abusive home. They said they would alert the Department of Social Welfare and we would discuss the matter, that was around 2018.
“My wife said it was unfair that the child was not attending school while our grandchildren were doing so. So, we enrolled her at the school and she was doing Grade One this year despite the fact that she is 13 years old and took number five,” said Mr Sibanda.
However, he revealed that the girl was not doing well psychologically as she was constantly terrified and apprehensive owing to the fact that she has lived for many years away from her biological family and lacked love and affection as she was abused for a long time.
He mentioned that there were reports that she suffers some mental breakdowns owing to the many years of abuse.
“I have not witnessed them yet from the time I have spent with her, she is just scared of people as she does not know if she will be abused again. She is just in need of love and affection and eventually she will be herself again,” he added.
Mr Sibanda said he is seeking assistance for the educational needs of the girl.
“I have kept her for the past few years and all I ask is for help to care for her, she has no birth certificate too, I would want her to be in school with all required documents. If donors can assist with her school fees, uniforms, books and clothing I would be most grateful,” he said.
The village head’s wife, Ms Lindiwe Mkhwananzi also said she was willing to continue taking care of her as she is now a part of the family.
“She has lived a painful life and we want her to recover from the abuse. She is adjusting from the situation she was in. She was not as pleasant as she looks now, when we took her in, she was a very harsh child, that people are shocked that she can actually smile and be happy like other children her age and play with them.
“We used to see her in the village with a grim look and we always met her at night moving about. We have church gatherings that we would have and leave late at night, we would meet her wandering in the bush at night and we would just wonder what was happening to her,” she said. — @NyembeziMu.
