Zimbabweans text in their thoughts

Following a PlusNews story about discussions to introduce door-to-door HIV testing in Zimbabwe, Kubatana asked our SMS subscribers what they thought of the door-to-door testing idea.

We received over 600 replies, and have mapped the 250 or so that we could associate with locations using Ushahidi’s Crowdmap here.

This gives an interesting visual of responses from around the country. About 60% of replies came from Harare and its immediate surrounding areas, with the rest coming from around the country, including Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mutare and more.

Responses were mixed, with 46.6% respondents thinking it was a good idea, particularly because of Zimbabwe’s high HIV prevalence and the fact that many Zimbabweans still do not know their HIV status. However, many Zimbabweans (38.2% of responses) expressed concerns about the idea, particularly because of issues of privacy and human rights. Others questioned whether the idea was the best use of government funds and public resources. Some worried that, without greater availability of HIV treatments and ARVs, the testing would not make the desired difference to peoples’ lives. A healthy portion (15%) of replies expressed mixed opinions of the idea, or believing that it would only work with certain preconditions.

Some of the responses included:

• Door to door HIV testing is a gross violation of one’s fundamental right, why not door to door distribution of food basics as this a drought year?
• The idea is good. It should good go a step further by making it mandatory not just voluntary for partners to disclose their HIV status to each other
• I think the rights of people must respected the cant force people the money to do the exercise should be used buy medicines 4 the sick
• Its not fair to test HIV door-to-door because suicide rate will increase
• The issue of door to door HIV testing is not bad but the problem is, does our government have enough funds to supply the drugs to the millions if not billion HIV victims.
• Door to door HIV testing, I wonder what they would have done with our legislation without room for compulsory testing & the confidentiality clause incorporated in it. They must think before embarking on this endeavour.
• People must not be forced to get tested, they must do that voluntarily
• Government plan of testing people door-to-door is unfair, it’s just like sleeping with woman who does not love you. They must go to well-wishers.
• This is a very noble idea. This idea has more privacy. And may cover those who were to go and get tested at centres.
• That’s bulls–t!! If they do then what? Government must concentrate on bread & butter issues only.
• There will be no more human rights at all
• The idea is good, but people should not be forced to undergo the H.I.V tests.
• This is a good initiative which will go a long way a long way in trying to mitigate the pandemic
• HIV/AIDS is a pandemic, it is reasonable to take measure in a bid to eradicate the disease. A door-to-door VTC is best for our nation.
• It is very positive for people to know their H.I.V. status but more importantly their attitude after knowing their status.
• Door to door HIV testing is good if proper counseling is done also if resources permit.
• I well come door-to-door HIV testing. Some people are denied and some avoided and again some in remote areas such that they lack chances of being informed accurately. Thus they will be rescued from dying due to ignorance. Please try to speed it up if chan
• I would suggest testing be done to all patients who seek health treatment in hospitals.
• It is a noble idea on the side of the government, but on the other side it’s an abuse to those unwilling.
• HIV testing should be voluntary not by coercion. Door to door testing is tantamount to testing by coercion. Instead of embarking on such a campaign, government. Should channel the money to educating the nation on the advantages of getting tested voluntarily
• Good idea but can only succeed with cooperation
• The government + NGOs must make some rigorous campaigns to educate people about the +tive aspects of being tested & its benefits otherwise no one would be found at home.
• If testing is by choice it is a good move. It is a good strategy to bring the programme to the people rather than people going to the programme. It is a violation of rights if it is mandatory.
• Yes its costly but good. We must know our status. Why should HIV be a secret? Diabetics wear a wrist plaque. It should apply so we live positively.
• Door-to-door testing is a good thing but it should start with ministers.
• Door-to-door HIV testing will cause havoc in our country because some of these government officials are not elected by the people I am saying this because the government is failing to feed its people, for example Masvingo governor banned NGOs from feeding
• I think they can go ahead since AIDS is a disease, which is just like malaria. So everyone should know his or her status.

View more and check out the map here

And add your two cents about the door-to-door testing idea in the comments section below!

In his comments at a Pass Out Parade earlier this year, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri expressed confidence that the Zimbabwe Republic Police was doing everything it could to bring road fatalities to a minimum in Zimbabwe.

When I heard the accident statistics for this past Easter weekend, I was shocked: 33 deaths and 332 serious injuries. Is this really the best we can do? Soberingly, on the same weekend last Easter, a total of 69 people died and 410 others were injured in road accidents, according to The Zimbabwean. So maybe, sadly, it is.

Tangentially, the whole Chihuri address is well worth a read – It’s like he’s living in some parallel universe.

Merit is angry. And after reading this I’m sure you will be too. Merit is a Kubatana subscriber who wanted to share this article with us:

This woman, one of thousands in Zimbabwe, is just another statistic at the Police station and in her neighbourhood, but to me she touched a nerve. That could be my sister, whose only mistake was marrying the love of her life, questioning him when he brought a second woman home and getting her body mutilated by an axe, getting her head chopped off and leaving three traumatized children behind (The Herald). This woman could have been my mother, who at the age of 62, a grandmother of 5 is chased away from the matrimonial home for a younger wife, but staunchly refuses to go. “This is my home” she vows, “I know no other home but this one. Where do you want me to go after 44 years of marriage?” This woman that I saw could easily have been me, for refusing to have unprotected sex with a cheating partner. A cheating partner who feels he is entitled to by body and my womanhood, and when I refuse, he beats me, kicks me with booted feet and as an insult to my womanhood, shoves an empty bottle of coca cola into my vagina, rupturing my uterus and thus successfully ensures I cannot have anymore children.

This is what I saw dear readers. Words fail me as I try to express the emotions and questions that went though my mind as I looked at this woman, who could have been anyone, including me. I reflect on the thousands of women ZWLA has interacted with, and the tears started flowing. I asked myself if we have done enough in our families, our organisations, our communities, our churches, our parliament, our country, to ensure that my daughter will not witness this, or become a victim.

This woman, whom I choose to call Tariro (Hope – for I am still hopeful), has 22 stitches below her right eye, three broken ribs, a ruptured uterus, broken jaw, stitches in her mouth, and various injuries on her arms and legs. Her husband, who had beaten her up and left her for dead, had done so breaching a standing protection order under the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act. And to add insult to injury, the police could not find him in order to arrest him.

What makes me angry is the fact that abusers are getting away with “community service”. The perpetrators are violating Protection Orders and getting away with it. The police….let me not say lest I commit a crime. My point though is, what really is being done to curb this menace called domestic violence? Back to my story, it had to take four hours, four determined women and an unwilling police officer to track down this murderous man and have him charged and arrested. My question is, what happens to women in different parts of the country, who do not have ZWLA to make enough noise to get their cases heard and justice delivered? Who is responsible for the safety and protection of the ordinary woman?

I am angry because I cannot do all that I want to. I am angry because when a woman is beaten up no one takes it seriously until it results in death, and by then it does not make a difference to her anymore. I am angry because there are not enough safe houses and resources allocated towards the safety of women. I am angry, so I sat down and wrote this, hoping it would cleanse my hurting spirit and I can stop crying and snapping at the people around me.

More on our Fix this.please campaign…

Blocked drain, pothole, broken pipes, street sign. My stickers are everywhere.
Sam, Epworth

I have placed my first sticker at the borehole because that is where people can get information. The second sticker I placed at a waiting room because there is need to repair the waiting room. I placed my third sticker at the dip tank as a way of indicating how old it is. – Masvingo

I placed my stickers at a street sign, streetlight and broken pipe. Why? Please replace with new ones and crimes are happening at night because of no streetlights.
- Chiredzi

Have stuck it on the main robots in Kwekwe where there have been not working for the past 12 months. Accidents always happen at that area. Its from town to Mbizo.
- Kwekwe

Broken sewer pipeline, uncovered water pipeline and non functioning tower light.
- Chiredzi

Traffic lights (Glen View Way/Willovale Road). These roads have high vehicle concentration and need to be controlled to avoid accidents. Drainage system (Glen View Way/110 Crescent Glen View 8). The system is blocked and the water is logged in trenches leaving citizens exposed to water borne diseases. Glen View New Hall toilets. The public toilets are closed yet the hall hosts congregations and weddings. Some people have resorted to ‘bush toilets’ since there is long grass within the hall’s yard thereby contaminating the area.
- Masvosva, Glen View 1, Harare.

Don’t know about you but in Greendale over Easter, there was just a trickle of municipal water. And now at our office block, which services over 30 offices (that’s a lot of poo to deal with on a daily basis), there’s no water. Give us some water please Mr President, I bet you’ve got some to spare.

From Trudy Stevenson, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Senegal:

I am so privileged to share with the Senegalese their joy in managing their transition to a new government led by new president Macky Sall.  Despite all the tension and the violent demonstrations and loss of life since 23 June 2011, in the end the transition has been achieved through the ballot box in complete peace, with the outgoing president Wade telephoning the winner Macky Sall to congratulate him on his victory even before the last results are out. This is indeed democracy, and African democracy – so we CAN do it!!  Well done Senegal!