Traditional chief in Ntchisi orders undressing of an alleged adulterous woman
Appalled members of public are circulating a video clip of a woman who was stripped naked during her traditional court hearing, imploring on the authorities to take to task the traditional chief in the area of Chimwang’ombe-Malomo in Ntchisi District, who allowed this to happen.
Reports accompanying the video clip indicate that this was to publicly humiliate the woman as a punishment for alleged adultery.
Concerned people has deplored this inhumane act and thus the authorities being asked to investigate and prosecute traditional chief for indecent assault.
The clip shows the woman seated on a chair bare breasted with a cloth wrapper (chitenje) covering the lower part of her body — sorrounded by men, women and children.
She is then ordered to stand up and as she did and tried to cover up herself, a voice is heard ordering her to drop the chitenje which she slowly and reluctantly complied.
The gathering, including the children, loudly jeered her while some kids who were behind her rushed in front to peer at her exposed private parts.
After being satisfied of the humiliation she was intended to suffer, she is then ordered to sit back on the chair and she quickly grabbed her chitenje and promptly covered herself as the gathering continued to jeer and scorn her.
One commentator on a WhatsApp group on which the video clip was shared, voiced her deep concern — saying that the issue of adultery should have been addressed in camera involving elderly people to solve the matter.
“Women might market themselves to attract men for sexual favours and when her affairs become adulterous, then there are two parties involved — and the men involved.
“The clip does not show whether the guilty men were also under the chief’s traditional court hearing. If the man or men were present, they too should have been embarrassed and humiliated in the same manner.”
She thus wished the authorities, civil and human rights societies — including Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati, to take action once the chief and those that masterminded it are identified.
“This is like mob justice,” another commented. “This has traumatized this poor woman because all the children and other grown up youths who witnessed this will continue to regard her as some sort of pariah.
“It’s a shame that this is happening in this era. If she is adulterous it’s because men approach her and in solving this barbaric action, the men she is being accused of sleeping with should also be exposed during shamed,” said the commentator on WhatsApp.
People, especially women usually take the law into their own hands when they discover that a particular woman is having an affair with their husband or boyfriend to the extent of inflicting physical assault.
Such wives gang up with friends or pay bouncers to go and assault the women suspected of having an affair with their husband or boyfriend and several more have been jailed after they inflicted despicable injury to their suspects.
It is also common that when a wife finally meets their adversary, fights between the two erupt and the traditional way is usually to undress their adversary — as has been the case of Chimwang’ombe-Malomo in Ntchisi District.
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