Staff Reporter
CHIVI – Police in Chivi have expressed worry over traditional healers popularly known as Tsikamutandas who are causing a lot of problems rather than solving them in the community.
This was revealed by Masvingo West Dispol Superintendent Oscar Gadzikwa during the International Rural Women’s Day (IRWD) commemorations in ward 16 of Chivi Central recently.
Supt Gadzikwa said Tsikamutandas were causing Gender based violence and destruction of property in the communities they operate in and warned people to notify the nearest police if they come in their areas.
“Tsikamutandas are causing a lot of problems in the community, they accuse people of different witchcraft and force people to pay them and some family members fight over those issues. I want to urge you all that if you see them in you communities please notify the police,” said Gadzikwa.
He went on to say communities should also report child headed families and instances where families deprive education to the girl child favoring the boy child saying it was not only the victim’s responsibility to report abuse but the community also.
“It is not only the responsibility of victims to report abuse to police but the community can also report. Our Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) is readily available to deal with all cases of abuse cases.
“If the community sees a family where the girl child is deprived a chance to go to school in favor of a boy child they should report. If you see a child-headed homestead, report to the police also because that makes children vulnerable to abuse,” said Gadzikwa.
Speaking at the same event, Masvingo Child Senator Chantel Verenga urged youth to work for themselves to avoid idleness which she said was responsible for leads to drug abuse.
“Young people should not be a burden to their parents instead they should be exemplary children. Youths should work for themselves by venturing in technical skills, starting small business ventures like collecting and processing Mapfura. This is a great way of fighting against drug abuse because idle minds are the devil’s workshop,” said Verenga.
She urged young people to work with Takunda Care as it is empowering youths to get technical skills to work for themselves through (Technical Vocational Education Training) TVET.
There was free cervical and cancer screening at the event by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and local women said though the service was free, the government should make sure that treatment becomes free saying it was expensive and this forces cancer patients to default.
The event was running under the theme ‘Rural women cultivating good food for all’.
