The ManicaPost
HUMAN life is sacred and precious.
Most religions attest to the belief that people were made as part of God’s creation and in His image.
This, therefore means that only God can give life and only God should take life away.
In line with this religious stand point, many societies have enacted laws and other supporting legislation to preserve life. The commission of murder is a grave offence which in some countries carries a death penalty, while in others it means life imprisonment.
These penalties were put in place to ensure that people value life and do not commit crimes that lead to its loss.
But despite the penalties that are in place, the rate at which murder is being committed in Manicaland and the country at large is worrisome.
Elsewhere in this issue we carry a disturbing story in which a 18-year-old Buhera man murdered three senior citizens in cold blood as revenge for the death of his father.
The story sounds like a horror movie script and villagers in Muchini are still in a state of shock following the gruesome murder.
Last week, we reported that a 41-year-old Mutare man brewed a shocker and fatally assaulted his 13-year-old son.
The way the murder was committed disturbed many. The man tied his son’s neck, hands and legs with an electric cable and beat him until he passed out and died.
In Headlands, in another incident, a two months old baby who was strapped on her mother’s back was stoned to death during a beer induced brawl.
In Chipinge, a Mwacheta Primary School Grade Seven 15-year-old pupil fatally stabbed his classmate with a knife following an altercation.
This incident shocked the nation, especially considering the age of the suspect.
Ritual murders have steepened the homicide death curve. These vices are being committed by ruthless culprits who trade in human parts for a living. The recent Murehwa case in which a seven-year-old boy was murdered for ritual purposes quickly comes to mind.
Several suspects have since been arrested and arraigned before the courts in connection with the case.
As if all this was not enough, in Masvingo a 22-year-old man reportedly killed his eight-year-old nephew, beheaded the corpse and boiled it. He was found by alert neighbours stewing the boy’s head.
All these recent murders show to a general breakdown in the way society now values life.
The wayward, thuggish and reckless behaviour, which is being exhibited by many, needs to be toned down before more people lose their lives.
Harsh sentences are in place, but society must quickly revisit the way children are being groomed as monsters who kill with reckless abandon are fast emerging.
Personal conflicts are a major cause of most murders. These conflicts can be domestic, involving married couples or family members.
On the other hand, gender based violence is causing a lot of harm in our society. With the world having wound up commemorations of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence yesterday, our society need to turn a new page.
Members of the public need to be equipped with knowledge on how best they can handle life threatening situations.
There is need to educate people on how best they can keep their calm in explosive situations that normally result in violent encounters.
At schools there is need to teach children on the sanctity of life and on how to protect each other.
