We also want to acknowledge the role that was played by Mr. Wicknell Chivayo; for me, I think he did well and showed that he had gender compassion and respects the women of his country. We also want to thank the Young Women Christian Association which is led by our own Zimbabwean, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda. They also played a very pivotal role to assist the Speaker to repatriate the women. Their contributions would not have been possible had the Speaker not made the issue known and publicised. We are happy that the girls are back to their motherland.
I now want to proceed with the horrific ordeals that these girls endured. I know that it was talked about when the report was tabled before the House but let us not mix the two. This is now a motion that is coming out of the report that was tabled by the delegation from Kuwait. I think we will keep making noise like a bee in the Government’s ears so that we are heard. As we have seen, the women Members of Parliament have sacrificed to debate forever and ever sitting down until and when all the girls return to Zimbabwe. As we speak right now Mr. Speaker Sir, we even have contacts of the so called employers who have got our girls right now in the basement somewhere but I am surprised why the Government is not going to just have those girls leave that basement where they are being kept. Right now they are in there!
The ordeals shared by the survivors point to a level of torture and inhuman treatment that is unheard of. The young women went through horrific experiences of sexual exploitation. When we are talking about sexual exploitation here, allow me to say these three words in Shona. Vana vakaburitswa chimusana – being changed from one man to the other, ten men a day on one girl. One man is actually too much and how can one be having ten men in a day. They were reduced to being a “scud” at a beer hall where this one would drink and no one will clean the other person’s saliva. It goes to the next one, he drinks until the scud goes round ten people without wiping their saliva. This is what was happening to the girls.
They were not allowed to use soap to bath because it was said that their pores will close and they will smell because of the black skins. Mr. Speaker Sir, that level of slavery is unheard of especially in a country like Kuwait where they have signed and ratified the protocol on human trafficking. We do not want double standards where on the left hand, you sign and you are counted amongst those countries that have signed and on the right hand you are still perpetrating and violating the same protocol that you have signed. We condemn such countries.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Can the owner of the following vehicle, ADI-9384 Ford Ranger, go and remove his vehicle which is obstructing other vehicles.
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