An exploration of unreported rape in Lupane rural district, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study explores unreported incidents of rape among women in the Lupane rural district area in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. The inherently inductive qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and narrative design steered the study. The problem is that cultural norms in Lupane rural district seem to empower men to the extent of societal acceptance of sexual abuse of women in several manners. The question is, what prevents these women from coming forward to report rape, not only to the police but also to receive any other help. In this study, qualitative, rich data was collected from a purposively selected target of resettlement villages that consisted of villagers and their village heads using convenience sampling. Purposive sampling was also used to choose NGOs registered as service organisations. Narrative unstructured face-to-face interviews were used to gather information in the participants’ village environment or working environments where suitable. Bracketing was applied to mitigate the possibly damaging effects of biases that may flaw the research process. Data analysis comprised of analysing data for stories in the Ndebele language, retelling stories and, chronologically developing themes. QSR Nvivo 9 data management software was used to analyse data, and this technique was founded upon three levels of meaning. In the study findings, five themes and subthemes emerged as barriers to unreported rape, recorded as social and cultural factors, societal and structural factors, psychosocial factors, economic factors, and awareness factors. A narrative study does not lend itself to recommendations; it will be impertinent to the culture; therefore, new conversations were initiated based on the five themes. The conversations inspire culturally sensitive awareness and improve reporting of rape cases by women.

Isifundo lesi sihlolisisa izehlakalo ezingabikwa zokubhinywa kwabesifazane endaweni yaseLupane esemaphandleni eMatabeleland North, eZimbabwe. Umklamo wekhwalithi, wokuhlola, wokuchaza lokulandisa owenziwe ngokwemvelo uqondise lesi isifundo. Uhlupho yikuthi imikhuba yamasiko endaweni yaseLupane esemaphandleni ibonakala inika abesilisa amandla okwemukeleka emphakathini ukutshaphazwa kwabantu besifazane ngendlela ezinengi kanti umbuzo uthi kuyini okuvimbela laba besifazane ukuthi beze bazobika ngokubhinywa, hatshi emapholiseni kuphela kodwa futhi ngaloba yiluphi olunye usizo. Kulesi sifundo idatha ejiyileyo esendaweni efaneleyo yaqoqwa kusuka kunhloso ekhethwe ngenhloso yendawo zokuhlala kakutsha ezazilabantu basemakhaya kanye labosabhuku kusetshenziswa isampula elula. Ukwenza isampula ngenhloso kusetshenzisiwe ukukhetha ama-NGO abhaliswe njengenhlangano yensizakalo kusetshenziswa ukuxoxisana okungahlelwanga kobuso lobuso kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingwane endaweni yabahlanganyeli yendawo loba endaweni zokusebenza lapho okufanele khona. Kusetshenziswe imigoqo ukunciphisa indlela ezingaba yingozi engenza ukuqhubeka kwesifundo kube kubi. Ukuhlaziya kwedatha kuqukethe ukuhlaziya kwedatha yendaba ngolimi lwesiNdebele, ukubalisa izindaba, ukuthuthukisa izingqikithi usebenzisa ukulandelana kwesikhathi. Isoftware ye-QSR Nvivo 9 yokuphathwa kwedatha isetshenziswe ukuphenya idatha futhi le ndlela yasekelwa endaweni ezintathu zencazelo. Ezifundweni kutholwe izingqikithi ezinhlanu lama-subthemes njengezithiyo zokubhinywa okungabikwa okurekhodwe njengezi: ezenhlalo lezamasiko, izici zomphakathi lezakhiwo, izinto ezingokwengqondo, ezomnotho, lezici zokwazisa. Isifundo sokulandisa asiziniki izincomo, ngoba luzabe lungahambisani lamasiko ngakho isifundi sisungule ingxoxo ezintsha ezisekelwe endikimbeni ezinhlanu. Ingxoxo zingagqugquzela ukwazisa ngamasiko futhi zithuthukise ukubikwa kwamacala okubhinywa kwabesifazane.

Lolu cwaningo ludingida izehlakalo zokudlwengulwa kwabesifazane ezingakabikwa esifundeni sasemaphandleni eLupane eNyakatho yeMatabeleland eZimbabwe. Indlela yokucabanga ngokwemvelo, esezingeni eliphezulu, ehlolayo, echazayo, nelandisayo iqondise ucwaningo. Inkinga wukuthi izinkambiso zamasiko esifundeni sasemaphandleni eLupane ibonakala inikeza amadoda amandla ukuthi avume emphakathini ukuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazana ngezindlela eziningi. Umbuzo uthi yini evimbela laba besifazane ukuthi baphumele obala bezobika ngokudlwengulwa, hhayi emaphoyiseni kuphela kodwa bathole olunye usizo. Kulolu cwaningo, imininingwane ecebile yemibuzo, yenhlolokhono, noma yokubuka yaqoqwa kulokho okuhlosiwe okukhethiwe ezindaweni zokuhlaliswa kabusha, okwakuhlanganisa izakhamuzi kanye nezinhloko zesigodi, kusetshenziswa amasampula alula. Ukusampula okuhlosiwe nakho kwasetshenziswa ekukhetheni ama-NGO abhaliswe njengezinhlangano zensizakalo. Izingxoxo zobuso nobuso ezilandisayo ezingahlelekile zasetshenziswa ukuze kuqoqwe ulwazi ezindaweni zasemakhaya zabahlanganyeli noma ezindaweni zokusebenza lapho kufaneleka khona. Ukufakwa kubakaki kwasetshenziswa ukuze kwehliswe imithelela engase ibe yingozi yokuchema engase iphazamise inqubo yocwaningo. Ukuhlaziywa kwemininingwane kuhlanganisa ukuhlaziya imininingwane yezindaba zolimi lwesiNdebele, ukuxoxa kabusha izindaba kanye nezindikimba ezikhula ngokulandelana kwazo. Isofthiwe yokuphatha imininingwane ye-QSR NVivo 9 yasetshenziswa ukuhlaziya imininingwane, futhi le nqubo yasungulwa emazingeni amathathu encazelo. Kokutholwe ocwaningweni, izindikimba ezinhlanu nezindikinjana zavela njengezithiyo zokudlwengulwa okungabikwanga, eziqoshwe njengezici zezenhlalo namasiko, izici zomphakathi nesakhiwo, izici zengqondo, izici zezomnotho, nezici zokuqwashisa. Ucwaningo lokulandisa aluzinikezi iziphakamiso njengoba luzobe lungahambisani nesiko; ngakho-ke, izingxoxo ezintsha zaqalwa ngokusekelwe ezindikimbeni ezinhlanu. Izingxoxo zigqugquzela ukuqwashisa okubucayi ngamasiko futhi zithuthukise ukubikwa kwamacala okudlwengula ngabesifazane.