SW Radio Africa (London)
Violet Gonda
20 August 2008
Women of Zimbabwe Arise have said the widespread use of violence as a political tool of repression in Zimbabwe has had serious adverse long-term effects on the victims. A survey conducted by the pressure group shows that the psychological state of Zimbabweans is similar to the state of mind of people in war zones. WOZA said this at the launch of their latest report called, 'Counting the Cost of Courage: Trauma Experiences of Women Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe,' in South Africa on Wednesday.
The survey was to document the traumatic experiences of WOZA women in order to understand the basis of possible psychological and emotional disorders arising from their civic activism. WOZA leader Magodonga Mahlangu said out of the 2000 victims interviewed, 53% have a likelihood of having psychological disorders. "The findings of the report indicate that Zimbabwe is a complex emergency: significant violence, severe economic decline, and the destruction of social capital, which resembles a war." The group said this left the victims candidates for clinical psychological symptoms.
Unfortunately because of the worsening economic crisis the victims have received little counselling to handle their ordeals. The pressure group appealed to ZANU PF to disband the militia camps saying there can never be a healing process in the country if these structures that are perpetrating violence are still in place.
Mahlangu added that the negotiations on the future of Zimbabwe should involve community based people who will speak the concerns of the ordinary person. She said: "Right now as we speak the violence is taking place on the background of these talks and there are no concrete measures being put to stop the violence."
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