MWENYA’S DIARY

By Mwenya Mukuka

Oval shaped face, milky eyes, fairly light in complexion, tall and coca cola bottle body structure briefly describes, Mrs. Angela Daka-Jere now late and lying seven feet under, at Leopards hill cemetery in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

‘Why my lovely daughter, why didn’t you say, look at child you have left, surely you could have waited for him to grow…….’ Cried out her mother as the pall bearers lowered the gold coated coffin into the grave. The sparkling casket got everyone talking, because it was very expensive, basically it was one and a half.

‘I wanted my wife to lie in a very expensive casket because of the love I had for her’ the husband was overheard commenting by one of the sales ladies at the coffin shop.    
Angela or Angel as her work mates fondly referred to her, due to her soft hearted and untiring hand of helping the needy in society, she was a pillar to many people’s lives. Being a quality inspector in the ministry of works and supply accorded her a chance to take several trips out of town.    

On one of the trips in the eastern part of the country, she met Partner Jere with whom she tied the Knot with, after two years. At First Jere was a gentleman, but things changed when Angela could not bare any child. Several visits to different gynecologists coupled with prayers and fasting all proved fruitless.

This development now made her desperate for she feared loosing the husband she loved too much to other women who probably could give him children. Barrenness is something that Angela never thought of from childhood. She discussed with friends how many children she was going to have. So the development where she could not have children brought misery to her especially having lived in a society where not having children is a ‘taboo’ and stigma oriented.    

Angela was now very unhappy. The lovely husband that complemented her on anything she did, was now just another woman. Beatings were now the order of the day. Each time she asked where he had been the previous night, the response was a blow onto the once upon a time princess’ face to him, she became lousy to Jere.

To cream it all, Jere brought in a young lady in their matrimonial home besides the many other concubines as a price for Angela’s failure to bear a child. Angela now stopped work because she was failing to concentrate.

Tuesday November the 3 rd, 2005, marked the way to the grave for Angela. She woke up early and stood by the guest bedroom’s door where her husband had been sleeping with the young ‘wife’. As the young lady was coming out, she grabbed her and demanded her leave.     

‘You should leave! I am now carrying my husband’s child…’ She announced while holding the young lady’s throat.

‘What?’ questioned Jere from behind the door in a rush to pull Angela away from the young lady.   

Angela had received the good news from the Doctor that despite having had monthly menstrual circles for the past 4 months she was actually heavily pregnant.

She withheld the ‘news’ from her husband because she did not know how he was going to receive it.

Upon getting that she was pregnant, she received all sorts of insults and Jere accused the pastor to Angela of having impregnated her.

‘As far as I can remember I had met with you five months ago, and you are barren, you devilish woman, why didn’t you tell me?’ He sconned her.

“I did not know  that I was pregnant for I kept having my menses, …….” Angela said amid sobs while tears rolled down her no longer beautiful face.    

Jere totally denied the responsibility and subjected her to all sorts of abuse you can dream of, especially after the departure of the young concubine he brought in. Angela was abused physically, emotionally and above all, in her last days of the pregnancy, she was deserted leaving her no option but to her aunty that abused her in childhood. She could not go to her mother in the village. There again she was let to deliver Dalitso alone.

Jere never went to see the child at least in the first 6 months still insisting that the pastor had fathered him. During the pregnancy, Angela tested positive to HIV which Jere never knew of, as she feared for her life. With the involvement of elders, Jere finally reconciled with Angela yet the abuse continued. Rarely a day passed without reference to Dalitso as the pastor’s son. These emotional abuses reduced the once flamboyant, energetic, flashy, lovely Angela to a 40 kilogram weight; she basically was paper weight and pale. But she never stopped praying to God that one day this was going to pass and start enjoying life all over again. At times she thought it was just a long reoccurring nightmare but alas, it was real. One night Jere came back drunk and beat Angela to the point of death citing the departure of her concubine as a reason. Dalitso cried ‘Dad, Dad leave mummy alone……” but never stopped the beating until she stooped crying. Angela was found dead the following day holding Dalitso in her alms.

Jere organized all he could in his means for a decent funeral of Angela; For sure the funeral was talk of the town.

The following day relatives went back to check on Angela’s grave as per tradition.

“Ho, dear God……Angela’s body is laying naked right on the side of her grave. She has been exhumed”   Her cousin told the other relative on phone who was left back at the funeral house discussing how they were going to deal with Jere..   

After investigation it was discovered that Jere had hired thugs to exhume Angela’s body and instructed they take the dress together with the gold coated casket claiming he spent a lot of money such that he could not let it rot when he could resale it.
Poor Angela abused even in her grave! Abused to the grave…..

Up to date Jere is on the run…Have you seen him? Please report him so that he answers to the charges he ran from.

Angela in her early 30’s was indeed a rose still blossoming! May her soul rest in eternal peace.

The rains that fell on Friday, the 10^th of October saw Kulima tower bus station and many other roads in Lusaka town center flood. That was just a single day’s rains resulting in such roads becoming impassable. Its like the local authority has failed to address this problem that has rocked Lusaka for so many years.     

The rainy season is starting shortly and if not addressed definitely flood experienced in many parts of Lusaka last year will be repeated.

Firstly, floods are part of the natural cycle of things. The benefits of natural floods almost certainly outweigh the negative aspects. The problems start when flooding occurs in areas of large-scale human development of the landscape like it was in the last rainy season.
In areas largely inhabited by people, there are both positive and negative environmental effects of flooding. Floods can distribute large amounts of water and suspended river sediment over vast areas.

In many areas, this sediment helps replenish valuable topsoil components to agricultural lands and can keep the elevation of a land mass above sea level.

Floods disrupt normal drainage systems in cities and typically overwhelm sewer systems. Thus, raw or partially raw sewage spills are common in flooded area. Additionally, if the flood is severe enough, destruction of buildings that can contain a large array of toxic materials such as paints, pesticides, gasoline etc can cause the release of these materials into the local environment, which is not good.

We have seen how floods dislocate many people last year resulting in personal tragedies due to flooding occur.

A wise society, which Lusaka is in my opinion, would reap the benefits of flooding and avoid many of the negatives if choose to build cities in ways that can accommodate flooding without trying to avoid it. 

Lusaka central business district is prone to floods each rainy season due to poor drainage system. Flood prevention is really something left up to cities and towns.

‘As the council we are doing everything possible to address the floods that affect Lusaka city every year, but we need residents support by not throwing litter anyhow that results in blocking the drainage system’. Lusaka city council public relations officer Henry Kapata said.

Indeed people should develop a culture of throwing litter in designated places to prevent the blockage of drainage system.

                               By Mwenya Mukuka
For a long time now, Africa has blamed its state of poverty, destitution and backwardness on other countries. But how long can we go on pointing fingers at other nations that are fully occupied with own economic, political arms and social growth?
In Africa we should not forget that if we had not permitted them to gradually penetrate our societies, traditions and cultures, they would not have succeeded in doing so, and even if they did, not to the extent that they have. This has resulted in Africa being totally dependent on other cultures that one can hardly begin to understand.
Due to this lack of understanding, we have inculcated habits, which have robbed us of any warmth, compassion and togetherness that we as Africans used to hold very dear to us. They have robbed us of the uniqueness of being African, the pride of being African.
Africa the beloved land has become brutal! We have been discarded and disrespected by other nations, because even at the times that other nations have shown us a kind hand, we have bitten their hands, bitten each other, and now we are no longer a trusted continent.
The masses suffer because the handful that receive money for our countries in order to help grass root businesses, they have kept it without any remorse.
Those who are acquiring wealth to the detriment of their countries continue to get richer by the day, while the poor get poorer and live under the poverty line.
Theirs must be what the Bible calls a reprobate mind, where their consciences have become so hardened and cemented by self-centeredness, that they can easily turn a blind eye to their inhumanity to other Africans, their own people.
They turn over at night and sleep blissfully, deafened to the cries of the poor. As far as they are concerned, the poor do not exist, and if they do, they are simply illiterates who do not deserve the best form their leaders.
The poor are ignored, as the line of demarcation grows thicker, it is fast becoming a wall between the rich and the poor. The poor have lost dignity as human beings.
They have been robbed and raped times without number! Yet still that is not enough for certain individuals.
They still want more money as the poor choose to be honest and maintain their integrity! Political systems have been developed where only those willing to rogue people can join, otherwise, one cannot be a part of the government! He or she is seen as the enemy because they have chosen the way of truth. So many have become hard hearted, selfish and unsympathetic! They forget that in the African culture we believe, and we know that selfishness will serve as a barrier to help when they most need it, and that when these egotistical individuals really need help they will not find it.  The reason being that they have sown too many bitter seeds.
In Africa we believe that if you do not allow your neighbor to enjoy, neither will you.
It is not a wonder that obscene crimes have escalated in Africa . Every day, Mother Africa drinks the blood of her children. Everyday, their disunity, greed, bitterness, jealousy, envy, anger and violence shake her amongst her children. It is no longer the white man that is killing Africa , they no longer need to. We Africans are causing our own death, cutting our nose to smite our face, while they laugh at us.
Besides that there are still honest African men and women, but they lack the moral and financial support of those who can make a better Africa possible. They are labeled as dreamers, unrealistic beings who do not want to make money, because as they say, “there’s no money in building up the welfare of a nation and in caring for the welfare of others”.
A generation is rising up in Africa , one that has no bearing in life, one that is young, angry and restless. One, if not properly guided, will cause more damage three times worse than what we have already witnessed.
They are the ones that the seeds of peace, unity, love and compassion must be sown into. They must be prepared in a positive manner to do what is proper, in order to bring dignity and respect back to Africa .
All these children have known is pain, hopelessness, suffering, bitterness, frustration and violence.
Let’s think with our hearts, not the wallets. Think with Peace, forgiveness and reconciliation not bitterness. Plan for Africa . More than ever, Africans need each other now.
The different gifts, resources, assets, potentials and talents that can be used to help Africa . Let’s work for Africa , our beloved land.

‘Africa,twasebana’ Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe(Zambian freedom fighter).

                                                                   By Mwenya Mukuka

The devastating effects of HIV and AIDS in Zambia have seen many children going into the streets because families can not manage the extra burden of taking care of extended family members, this coupled with the disintegrating family values has also resulted in OVCs falling prey to the many immoral acts in society. These children have become thieves, prostitutes and end up a lost human resource of the country. With the coming up of orphanages which is a fairly new concept altogether some children have been given hope. Zambia in the recent past, probably the last two decades has seen a break in family linkages partly to the inheritance of western family values. Children have found home in orphanages. These homes assure children of better education, love, care, support and a bright future at the demise of their parents. These homes are supported by donor money. And just in a few years, so many have come up instantly becoming homes to many OVCs. Beauty (not real name) was born in 1986 in Ndola, the provincial capital of the copperbelt province. Her parents were lecturers at one of government owned higher learning institutions there. Being the only child she had all the privileges from her parents. Beauty had turned 14 when her parents died of HIV/AIDS complications. She was ushered into an orphanage because relations side could not take care of her. At 14 she had just come of age. She was introduced at an orphanage where she found other girls in a similar predicament and some in worse. At the orphanage she became so close to one male teacher. ‘He told me all sorts of good words a girl my age and state would want to hear. He said I was beautiful, brilliant and just incomparable. All I needed was to be focused and forge ahead if I was to be an accountant as my father was. All those good words reminded me of my parents and I felt so close to that man as I had in a long time never been told all those good words. The last to tell me how beautiful I was, was my late father months after my mother had died.’ A victim of unreported sexual abuse narrated to this writer amid sobs. Amid sobs she continued ‘I became so close to that teacher. I confided in him all my feelings. One time, he took me out along as he went to drink beer at night. I sneaked out of the orphanage. At the bar, he forced me several times to take a sip of some brand of a beer he was taking. I declined the offer and when I came back from the loo, I discovered that my drink had become bitter. I braved the bitterness and continued to take it and the next moment I was lying naked next to my teacher in one of the apartments at the orphanage just meters away from the girls’ dormitory. Blood covered my thighs and I knew what that man had done to me. I was no longer a virgin. Upon that realisation a sharp pain moved from between the legs. I hate my self. I told my self my virginity I was gone. I was now in a confused state and all I wanted was to leave that room. I stood up and opened the door slowly. My teacher was still was still asleep when I left. It was early in the morning and I could see the sun rising from the window that faced the east. Just coming out of that room I came face to face with the matron as though it was a rehearsed scenario. I knew I had lost it all. That matron was very strict…………………….’ ‘We cannot keep a dishonourable child like you. The board has therefore concluded that you leave this place because you will teach other girls your immoral acts. We urge you to repent of your sins………..’ Read the expulsion letter to Beauty in part. Beauty Left the orphanage ‘leaving her virginity’ at the orphanage. The abuser (Teacher), because he had been at the orphanage for some time and was good at project proposals was only suspended for two weeks. Beauty, the victim of un-reported sexual abuse in an orphanage now resides in one of the shanty townships of Kitwe with her newly made friends. All dreams of becoming an accountant gone. ‘I hate that man for taking away my virginity. A treasure I wanted to give my love. He crushed my life’ Beauty concluded. Her oval shaped face with eyes that can send any man to his knees looks so pale, literally with no life. She hates herself such that she had tempted twice to take her life each time she thought of that rapist teacher. This is just one of the unreported cases of sexual abuse in orphanages. An inquiry into the operations of the orphanages in the country is long over due. Just how many children have been sexually abused, impregnated and just face all sorts of abuse behind the doors of so many orphanages that have sprung up in Zambia? How many have been forced to abort to save the face of the orphanage or could the country account for children that have been ‘sold’ to foreigners from these homes on the pretext of adoption? Recently a senior government official in Chibombo expressed concern at the rampant abuse of children in orphanages in the district which has resulted in one orphanage recording 50 pregnancies this year. District Commissioner, Stephen Nyirongo threatened with closure of such orphanages in the area, which are involved in illicit activities and operating below the required standards. He said this when he addressed Chisamba township residents at Chisamba depot. Although he expressed sadness by the reports that 50 orphans at a named institution were impregnated this year alone is not enough. There is need to devise guidelines which would be distributed to all those looking after the OVCs. The impregnating of the 50 Orphaned girls at the particular orphanage puts their HIV status in question which is a sad state of affairs. It is so barbaric that people who are supposed to take care of the OVCs are taking advantage of the vulnerability by defiling them. I take it that these are teens and assume that they are virgins like Beauty was, so these unthinkable men have gone to an extent of taking the pride of these innocent children by sexually abusing them and just wonder how many have HIV now, Shame! The law should take its course because just a warning as issued by the Chibombo district commissioner that such an institution may face closure is not enough. 50 girls, all pregnant within nine months is sad and they will have children without fathers. What a sad development to the nation. At least we are not in the process of promoting a generation of fatherless children. This should bring concern to any right thinking individual because this evident rampant abuse of children in orphanages in Chibombo district is worrisome. The revelation should be followed and culprits be prosecuted to prevent further occurrence of the same in the future. My suspicions are that the same trend is happening in many parts of the country but it is just that it is not reported. How many OVCs are in pain at the hands of people purporting to be care givers? I reiterate my demand that the law takes its course in this matter with the urgency it deserves because this is a pure destruction of young people’s lives. Zambia has been hit with the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS, leaving children orphaned everyday, therefore where is this nation heading to if children are no longer safe in the hands of those claiming to have safe havens for children in the name of orphanages? The children who are now expecting might be going through different emotions and may be made bitter people in future resulting in a bitter generation. Care givers should know that they have a responsibility of moulding children into people of good moral standing and integrity in society and prevent a future of low self esteem. If this trend continues where orphaned children will be impregnated in orphanages then we will have a generation of fatherless children. The orphanage that has recorded 50 pregnancies should be closed with immediate effect and officials be brought to book to help with investigations with what really transpired for such a number of girls to be in a family way within a year.

                                By Mwenya Mukuka
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice that started in Africa approximately 2000 years ago. It is primarily a cultural practice, not a religious practice. But some religions do include FGM as part of their practices. This practice is so deep-seated into these cultures, and gives definition of members of such cultures. People in such culture believe that a girl would never become a woman without such procedure. In order to eliminate the practice one must eliminate the cultural belief that a girl will not become a woman without this procedure.
Female Genital Mutilation is the term used for removal of all or just part of the external parts of the female genitalia. There are three varieties to this procedure.
*Sunna Circumcision which consists of the removal of the prepuce (retractable fold of skin, or hood) and /or the tip of the clitoris. Sunna in Arabic means “tradition”. Then Clitoridectomy the removal of the entire clitoris (prepuce and glands) and the removal of the adjacent labia.
Infibulation (pharonic circumcision) consists of performing a clitoridectomy (removal of all or part of the labia minora, the labia majora). This is then stitched up allowing a small hole to remain open to allow for urine and menstrual blood to flow through.
One of the sources during the research on the subject said that genital mutilation is meant to make women be kept clean, and have the same shape of vagina hence preventing men to go for other women. The development prevents adultery and consequently reducing the infection rate of HIV. Could it a reason why in the regions where the practice is done has low infections of HIV and indeed be a solution to reducing the infection rate of HIV?
The practice described above may not be in practice in Zambia but there is a kind of mutilation that is not spoken about yet it mutilation. The pulling of the labia to length them. According to a marriage councillor who declined to be name d for fear of that her fellow will look at her as a disgrace the women folk told this writer that women are encouraged to pull the labia.
‘As woman you suppose to know what a man wants. As you are sleeping with your man he should have what to play with on your womanhood as that would make him feel moved easily’ She noted. 
 ‘Besides that, when you pull your labia it will make your womanhood bulge hence stimulating a man when you pull down your clothes before your man’. She added
And a female Journalism student at ZAMCOM in Lusaka Chola Mwamba conceded to the above.
She said ‘ the practice (labia pulling) is tradition and women feel that they cannot run away from Tradition and Culture. According to tradition, the longer the labia, the more a man is stimulated sexually.’
Chola further disclosed that when a woman reaches puberty, she is told the importance of pulling the labia but elders do not disclose the role it plays in stimulating both the man and her sexually.
Chola however believes that the invasion of western culture on the country’s culture is making women ‘relax’ and forget about the importance of keeping the tradition as a way of sustaining the partner’s sexual desire and tame them.
‘It is believed that some women lose their partners because of their failure to have what they call ‘the required Womanhood parts.’ And it is indeed worth noting that some men are sometimes not content with what their respective partners offer in terms of their womanhood and end up having extra sexual affairs.’
‘Beauty and love can be there, but women should be reminded to keep the tradition in order to strengthen their sexual relationship with their partners.’ Chola recommended lastly.
Another Lusaka primary school teacher admitted women usually pull the labia. ‘Its true we pull, especially when you are missing your man, watch a romantic movie or when he calls you especially in the night’ She said.
Another woman markteeer from Soweto market after a long hesitation in answering to questions about the about the practice she finally admitted.
‘Every woman do that, why be left out if you want to keep your man.’ ‘After all we do it for the good our men’. She added.
Further investigations about the issue of pulling the labia, a prominent woman politician and another woman finance director of prominent firm in Lusaka all said that the practice is there but cannot be defined as genital mutilation.
‘You media people, so you want this issue to come out in the open, why do are interested in talking about the women issues? It is there but that can’t be regarded as genital mutilation. Genital mutilation is bad. And please don’t quote me nakupapata’ Said the politician.
If such women from all sector of society can agree to labia pulling and if we agree with the definition given in the BBC English dictionary of the world Mutilation that defines it as damaging, then Genital mutilation is alive in Zambia . One would just wonder what effects have been in our women who have pulled their labia for the benefit of their sexual partners. Since women don’t want the issue to be spoken about it shall continue to be practiced in silence and the culture will definitely move to the next generation.
But women should know that labia pulling can result in small amounts of urine getting trapped inside the membrane, and the woman can get an infection, and irritation of the skin and lining of the vagina even repeated bladder infections. Sometimes there can be trouble with toilet training, because a little urine gets caught above the fused labia (inside the vagina), and leaks out after she gets off the toilet, wetting her pants. This can be embarrassing to a very woman. Pulling the labia can be painful, and there can be a little bleeding along the edges of the labia. As the labia heal, the edges can fuse together again.
In the continued search for more information on the issue another recently married Lusaka based female broadcaster admitted to the trend. ‘My grand mother when I got of age told me to start pulling the labia. When I resisted she told my father who told me if I didn’t do it,I was going to be a ‘man’’ .She said. She further said that pulled labia acts as ‘hands’ to hold the penis when making love so that it doesn’t come out easily when the man pushes up and down’ 
Labia pulling as put by one interviewee that it is done for the sake of men bring me to the so-called “dry sex”. This is practiced whereby girls and women attempt to dry out their vaginas in an effort to provide more pleasurable sex to men. This dryness is achieved by using certain herbs and ingredients that reportedly reduce vaginal fluids and increase friction during intercourse. Given the likelihood that dry sex will cause tears and lacerations in the vaginal wall, especially among adolescent girls, the practice increases the risk of HIV transmission.
According to a 1999 report by the Ministry of Health and the Central Board of Health to enhance male pleasure, a number of women continue to practice dry sex, which can increase vulnerability to infection through exposing genital organs to bruising and laceration.
While in Zambia the practice is being discouraged it is hard to know whether it is on the decline. One woman said ‘men love dry sex. If you’re wet, they think it’s not normal”. Counselors at Young Women’s Christian Association drop-in centre in Lusaka , explained that women are made to believe that they are supposed to be dry. There is even a name given to those who are too wet, they are called ‘ Chambeshi River ’, referring to massive current flow of water in Chambeshi River . Some men tell ladies that being wet mean that they have been with too many men. Women tend to continue practicing dry sex all in sought of maintaining the relationship.