JUSTICE FOR YEUKAI: TWIST AND TURNS AS SHE IS LAID TO REST.

The Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures)(Criminal Laws (Protection of Children and Young Persons)) Regulations 2024, Statutory Instrument (S.I) 2 of 2024 in a recent development, pushed the age of consent from 16 to 18 so as to align with the age of marriage. The law highlights that anyone below the age of 18 and before attaining 18 cannot consent to any type of sexual activities because they are children.

On Tuesday night on route to Murewa, Tatenda Zhanje who is said to have raped and impregnated the late Yeukai Dandara was taken to Highlands Police Station after the vehicle carrying the body of the victim was halted by the police.

In a desperate move to cover his crimes Tatenda claimed he was 22 and Yeukai was 16. However the barefaced lie would not hold water as he failed to produce his identification card for verification. Another botched attempt was the burial order which was issued at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital (footage in H-metro) shows the aged rubbed off with ink and changed to 18 which would imply either authorities at the hospital had worked together with Tatenda or misled into changing it or Tatenda had changed the age himself.

New section 70(5) says, “it shall be a defence to charge under subsection (1) for the accuses person to satisfy the court that he or she had cause to believe that the young person concerned was of or over the age of eighteen years or 18 at the time of the alleged crime”.

All the efforts to alter the age of the victim and his own age hint of a crime that is trying to be covered but without enough knowledge of what the Constitution says about age of consent because despite all alterations Yeukai still remains under age of consent and is still a child that will be protected by the government even if her own family will not be able to fight for her justice.

Since section 70 (2) says, “it shall be no defence to a charge of sexual intercourse or perfoming an indecent act with a young person to prove that he or she consented to sexual intercourse or indecent act”. With Yeukai late, it will only be the word of the alleged perpetrator over the voiceless victim who can not present her side.

After he was questioned, the police released him to attend the burial where in pictures doing rounds on social media Tatenda was in a jovial mood with no worry in the world.

The story is still developing and we are yet to find out if there is a government ministry that will advocate for her or if pressure groups will be her voice.

Facebook still has a lot of mixed opinions especially about his happy mood;

“1Vana ndovarikukura zvisirizvo vamwe vakutoona kuita boyfriend like zvodadisa

2 Mushakabvu anogona aishungurudzwa paaigara akaona kuita mukomana zvakamukoshera

3 Ko ivo vaigara nemwana vakadii kutora action zvichatanga

4 Varume kashoma kuratidza maemotions avo parufu

5 Hwindi agara ari Hwindi” Tinashe Makata.

“Where are the so called women pressure groups? Vanongongwarira pa duri se huku” Wilo Wilocious.

“These people need to be arrested” Mamanny Chimanga.