Woman Fined For Bathing In A River
A Nyanga woman was fined two chickens and ordered to apologise by Chief Saunyama’s community court for allegedly taking a bath in a river.
In Nyanga’s Saunyama area, it is a punishable offence to bathe in a river.
Violet Pabvu was accused of contaminating the water that is used for drinking and cooking downstream after she was caught while in her underwear in the river.
According to The Manica Post, Pabvu denied that she took a bath in the river when she appeared before Chief Saunyama’s community court. She said:
I was coming from the clinic with my baby who was not feeling well. The child threw up on me and I went to the river to wash my soiled clothes.
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I was not bathing in the river because I knew that it was taboo in this area. I was not naked when I was caught. I had my skin tight and brassiere on.
Chief Saunyama warned Pabvu that by washing off vomit in the river, she exposed a lot of people to waterborne diseases. He said:
That water is used by people downstream to cook and drink. It is unhygienic for you to wash your clothes in the river. By washing your dirty clothes in the river, you will be exposing a lot of people to waterborne diseases.
There is a cholera outbreak and that is how it spreads. If any cholera case is recorded from this day henceforth in areas downstream from where you were doing your laundry, I will hold you responsible and you will be brought back to this court where you will be severely punished.
Chief Saunyama fined Pabvu two chickens for the offence and she publicly apologised for her act.
The chief said Pabvu should have used a bucket or dish to fetch water from the river and wash her dirty clothes a few metres away from the water source to avoid any contamination of the water body.
The traditional leader urged his subjects to uphold local customs and traditions, saying some of them protect them from unforeseen dangers like the cholera outbreak. He said:
It is essential to be aware of cultural norms and values when interacting with different communities.
In this case, we the Saunyama people have strong beliefs surrounding river water usage and should take such matters seriously.
He said going forward, anyone found bathing in any river in his area of jurisdiction would be fined a cow.
More: Pindula News
