Family Disowns Mt Darwin Woman After Exposing Uncle’s R@ p€

A 23‑year‑old woman from Mt Darwin has been disowned by her family after exposing years of s€xu@l abuse by her uncle — who later married her widowed mother and now lives under the protection of a prophet as police pursue the case.

The woman says her ordeal began after her father’s death, when her mother was taken in by her late father’s elder brother.

“My problems started after my father passed away, when my mother was inherited by my uncle.

“He began r@ping me while I was still young. His son also abused me. I was too afraid to speak out at the time,” she said.

She married in 2021 and has a one‑year‑two‑month‑old child, but says her husband abandoned her.

She explained: “Because of the abuse, I became ill at school, and that eventually exposed the truth.

“I later sought help here at the prophet’s home. When asked about the r@p€, I admitted it because it was the truth.”

The disclosure led to her uncle’s arrest, and her family then confronted her at the prophet’s home.

“My relatives, including my mother, my uncle and others, came here to the prophet’s home and told me I should never return because I had exposed the abuse.

“They said the prophet was now my father and even demanded that I bring my father’s grave to his homestead,” she said.

She added that her mother remains silent whenever they meet in Mt Darwin, while other relatives have severed ties.

“I do not know if my mother is afraid of being chased from home or rejected. She says nothing. Other relatives told me I am no longer part of the family. They said if I die, the prophet should bury me,” she said.

For the past year, she has lived at the homestead of Prophet Enock Budzai, known as Madzibaba Mukanya, who provides her with food and essentials.

“I do not pay for anything, from food to soap for washing. I am grateful to Mai Mukanya, the prophet’s wife, for welcoming me,” she said.

Although her husband has started calling again, she emphasises that her priority is to rebuild her life through work.

She says her greatest plea is for a job to support herself, so she can stand on her own.

In the meantime, Prophet Budzai continues to shelter her and confirmed that her family even attempted to attack him over the case.

“When the abuse case came out, I began helping her. That angered her relatives, who rejected her and said they no longer wanted to see her.

“She has now been with me for a year, and I will continue to shelter her until she finds somewhere to go,” he said.

Police say the abuse case remains under investigation.

Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed that inquiries are still ongoing.

“This case requires me to review its full progress before I can comment further,” he said.

Her ordeal and rejection by family underscore the urgent need to confront gender‑based violence in all its forms.

As Zimbabwe joins the global community in the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender‑Based Violence — running from 25 November to 10 December under the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls” — her story stands as a reminder that survivors deserve protection, dignity, and real opportunities to rebuild their lives.