‘Shuvai Ben Mahofa was ruthless and heartless’

In 2002 before the Presidential election she led a group of Stormtroopers to my village homestead and accused my mother of hiding firearms that were alleged to belong to me. My mother went through a nightmare on accusations that shocked her to death.

Shuvai Ben Mahofa had just won the Gutu South parliamentary elections under the trail of terror and violence which was commanded by one Masasire from Vhunjere and a Colonel who was her boyfriend from 4.2 Infantry Battalion from Gutu.

She went to our village and tormented my mother with a barrage of accusations and unleashed the ZANU PF militias against my mother who was looking after our home. They destroyed the homestead and stole some money my mother kept under her pillow. She went about telling everyone that “maona zvataita paSikhala, toda kukupedzai mose”. Fear gripped everyone in Gutu South. She was ruthless and heartless against those she thought were opposed to her.

In June 27, 2008 she partook into veil of violence that is scripted allover Gutu. When she was appointed the Resident Minister for Masvingo she promised to kill everyone in Bikita West when she was campaigning for Betty Chabaya if Bikitans fail to vote for the ZANU PF candidate after the conviction of Munyaradzi Kereke. She had no respect for other people’s lives.

She always spoke as if she was the giver and taker of life. We never thought kuti vanhu ivava vanotofawo. Though in our culture afa anaka, wherever she is she now, she must know that those who died because of her instigation also deserved to live their lives to the end.

*By Job Sikala