2013 HORROR NEWS: LET’S WATCH OUT FOR OUR LITTLE BOYS

Last week, a 24-year-old primary school teacher from the Matabeleland area was arrested for allegedly sodomising TEN pupils at the school in separate incidents. Nkosiyazi Sibanda started sodomising the pupils in his class last year and would give them money to buy their silence.

In September, 19-year-old Importance Muranganwa who is partially blind, and doing Grade Seven was arrested for having sodomised TEN of his fellow pupils aged between 10 and 12. The alleged crimes were committed between July and September this year. Apparently, Innocent would wake up when all the pupils in the dormitory were asleep. He would randomly pick on his dorm-mates whom he would force to lie on their bellies before sodomising them.

Reading about these stories in the press got me so furious and sick I just had to say something! We have been for so long concentrating on protecting and emancipating the girl child that we have forgotten that the little boys also need our attention.

We are living in very bad times. Gone are the days when the child was everybody’s child, raised by the whole village with love and care. Nowadays it is each man for himself and God for us all, hence if you as a parent do not take care of your own child nobody else is going to do that for you.

In the home, let us equip our children with information! They should be aware of sexual violence and let us make it clear to them that they should be open enough with us enough to come to us if something like this happens to them. Drum it into their heads that they should ensure everybody RESPECTS their PERSONAL SPACE, and that they must not trust anyone, be it a family friend, a relative, a teacher, anybody!

Once upon a time we used to allow our relatives to sleep together with our children in the same room if they came to visit. People! PLEASE DESIST FROM THAT BEHAVIOUR!!! Rather have your relatives talk about you but knowing that your children are safe. If you do not have a guest bedroom, then make room for your relatives ELSEWHERE! And NOT together with your children! And make sure your children’s bedroom doors are LOCKED when they go to bed because it is the people we trust the most who do the most hurtful things.

If your children are going to go for any trip be it church or school, matter of fact, whenever your children are out of your sight, ensure that you have equipped them with PROTECTION, KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS that help them AVOID situations of sodomy or rape.

My heart bleeds for victims of such heinous crimes. And as much as we may cry for the government to do something, the onus is on us the parents! Let us not forget that our little boy children are just as vulnerable as the girls.