Some s*x workers have been forced to go through a really excruciating experience after being
forced to strip before being r*ped at a graveyard.
Up to about three Zimbabwean s*x workers in Harare were forced to strip at Mbare West Cemetery
by three men who later took turns to force themselves on each of them without wearing protection.
According to The Weekend Post, one of the victim s*x workers, who filed a police report, narrated
her ordeal but feared she may never get justice due to the widespread discrimination accorded to
s*x trade in Zimbabwe.
Police spokesperson Charity Charamba distanced the police from accusations of not taking s*x
worker reports seriously.
“We take every case seriously. I am, however, not yet aware of this particular matter.”
The s*x worker who identified herself as Samantha recounted the r*pe and how she is still to come
to terms with the incident.
“These men came to us and asked how much I charge short time. I told them $10 and they obliged
before taking me along with two of my friends,” she said.
“Prior to that I had made quite a bit of money sezvo ndanga ndiri new bhero pataundi (I had made
a bit of money since I was a new catch at the place).”
The three s*x workers then proceeded with the men who appeared “noble” at first as they bought
them a couple of beers before they drove off to the cemetery.
“You can imagine our surprise as we headed into the cemetery. We tried to object but the men
remained silent. They told us to get out before asking us to strip n*ked. They took the money which
was in my bra.
“They then roved their trousers and forced themselves onto us. What really hurt me is that one of
my friends is HIV positive and I had seen her ailing and now these men were taking turns with us.
They never even bothered to use condoms and you know how those sperms are so disgusting. They
had water but they couldn’t even be bothered to wipe,” she said in between sobs.
However, their nightmare only ended after the “men had had enough, before asking us to run in
front of their car as they hooted and shouted obscenities.”
Samantha was later treated for a sexual transmitted disease (STI)at a Harare hospital but says she
received a torrid time from nurses just as she had also had a hard time from police as she filed a
report.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) secretary general Enock Dongo said if s*x workers were facing
problems accessing health care then it was unfortunate.
“Our oath as nurses is that we swear we don’t discriminate, if it’s happening anywhere it’s very
unfortunate,” he said.
“Sometimes when we treat STIs we encourage patients to bring their partners but sometimes other
people may feel disenfranchised by that. But that doesn’t mean we don’t treat. This is just to avoid
recurrence.”
Home Affairs deputy minister Obedingwa Mguni called for the police to treat s*x workers with
respect.
“I am aware that there is no Act that grants commercial, whether it is social or what workers. I am
afraid to name it,” he said recently during question and answer session in the National Assembly.
“It is not yet approved that they can do their work. However, it does not constitute police to abuse
such people because you cannot even abuse a person you arrested committing crime. As police, you
need to be professional.”
