Killion Moyo, the traditional healer who stands accused of incest and numerous rapes

Factmore Dzobo
In most African cultures, it is taboo for one to be intimate with a close relative let alone one’s own mother or daughter or vice versa. This is referred to as an incestuous relationship. Despite the taboo associated with incest, some people are engaging in incestuous relationships resulting in birth of offspring from the illegal affair, such as the case of Killion Moyo of Bezha Village in Mzingwane who had a bizarre relationship with his daughter culminating in two pregnancies.
Moyo blamed spirit mediums for the prohibited relationship, saying his late wife had ordered him to marry the daughter. Their incestuous relationship started in 2003.

Moyo’s case is not isolated. Many cases of incest are being reported and heard at the courts, although the majority are swept under the carpet as families fear the shame associated with such relationships and the matters are instead dealt with at household level.

Many people question where a sane person would get the guts to be intimate with his daughter or biological mother.
A local social commentator, Eldred Ncube, said the infusion of different cultural beliefs and modern day prophetic beliefs have influenced negatively on the way people behave.

“The emerging of many prophetic beliefs and some traditional healers are taking advantage of the ignorance of some unsuspecting people, telling them some false prophetic and spirit medium dreams which advise them to sleep with one of their family members or a close relative disguised as a family protection against evil or as a way of receiving blessings,” said Ncube.

Social commentator and renowned historian, Pathisa Nyathi, noted that while incest is fairly common in Zimbabwe, cases in which these relationships are reported are rare. Rarer still is when the culprit is the breadwinner.

“Incest is seen as a taboo in the society, but most of these cases went on unnoticed because traditionally, African societies are very conservative with relationships and they do not want to expose any problem happening or affecting the family unit. One of the reason is poverty and ignorance, if a case of incest is perpetrated by the breadwinner such as the father, the family internalise it, for fear of losing the breadwinner or being punished by the perpetrator,” said Nyathi.

He said there is a kind of a culture of silence within the family set up which is common in most rural areas where most people do not access some awareness information on issues like domestic violence, rape and children’s rights campaigns.

According to social protection and community development expert Thokozile Mabhena, the reason why communities particularly in rural areas internalised incestuous relationships as normal was because of some cultural beliefs and patriarchal society set up.

The family and the victims choose to suffer silently either out of ignorance or in fear of reprisals by the perpetrator.
“It is so embarrassing that some of the incestuous relationships are being internalised within society because of some cultural myths behind it and the kind of patriarchal society set up, where the perpetrator can even threaten the family with starvation or cast a bad spell if the family discloses the father’s incestuous habits,” said Mabhena.

She said it seems women are quieter when it comes to arguing with husbands over their shameful acts in fear of damaging or spoiling relationships. They view this as a way of keeping the social family fabric unbroken.

Some traditional leaders said incest or rape is just like practising witchcraft or cannibalism which is unacceptable within society and deserved a stiff penalty.
Chief Shana of Hwange said incest was evil and in cases where it takes place, a cleansing ceremony should be done before taking back the perpetrator into the community. He said the perpetrator is regarded as a social outcast and traditionally, he should confess his shameful acts in front of the community.

“Traditionally, incest or rape is just the same as someone practising witchcraft, worse still a father sleeping with his daughter, it’s anti-social and the perpetrator is regarded as a social outcast who deserves to be punished severely and removed from the community. He should pay a fine in the form of a beast and confess his shameful acts in front of the village head and the community, ukugezisa isigaba in isiNdebele culture. This is part of the ritual cleansing ceremony done to clean the defiled community before accepting the perpetrator back into the community,” said Chief Shana.

The cattle that are paid as a fine will be slaughtered and eaten by members of the community. The family of those that would have broken the law is not allowed to eat the meat.