Violence Must End

I WROTE this letter with a heavy heart. I am highly troubled by the suffering of women in the hands of their so-called lovers, boyfriends, partners or husbands.

The recent killing of a woman at Central State Hospital by her boyfriend is a clear testimony that our sisters, mothers, daughters and aunts are not safe in romantic relationships. However, it is a high time to educate male folks in this country that women are not their belongings but equal partners. Women deserve to be treated decently and with respect and have rights to discontinue romantic relationships without men’s consent. You cannot force a woman to love you. Men should learn to accept and cope with failing apart relationships without resorting to violence. The campaigns against gender violence must be intensified and this must be done from the grassroots level. We need to create a country of gentlemen who do not abuse and murder their women but solve problems amicably. While I am a strong advocate of faithfulness within relationships, I do not condone the killing of a woman just because she has decided to end the relationship. Equally, it is not justifiable to kill somebody based on the paternity of the child. Stiff sentences must be given to women’s murderers. If one can get 30 yrs in prison, if convicted of stock theft, why not 60 years for the murder of an innocent woman.Salomo ya NambingaVia e-mail