Corruption-Violence Against Women in Zambia and Lesotho Correctional Facilities of Abettors and Heroines

Corruption-Violence Against Women in Zambia and Lesotho Correctional Facilities of Abettors and Heroines

Chidongo Phiri^1*, Inonge Milupi², Mokone Musi³, Kalisto Kalimaposo⁴, Delina Nanjekana Munkoyo⁵, Mubita Kaiko⁶

¹University of Zambia and National University of Lesotho

^2,3,4,5,6University of Zambia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2023.8609
Received: 02 May 2023; Revised: 29 May 2023; Accepted: 03 June 2023; Published: 06 July 2023

Abstract: – This paper examined corruption violence against women in Zambia and Lesotho by highlighting how they mitigate its effects without being acknowledged as abettors and heroines of it. Of particular concern is the existence of corruption violence against women through mental and physical abuse, trauma and incarceration. This is depicted in the day to day conversations and female punishment and arrests by the state prosecutors and prison warders in Zambia and Lesotho. The women persecution has nothing to do with the level of education or professional training of the prosecutor or prison warders but the political patronage of the prosecutor. Nevertheless, corruption-violence of any form against women is not only a violation of the constitutional rights in the context of Zambia and Lesotho but also a denial of dignity, liberty and equality enshrined in the global Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.

Sandra Bartky’s “discursive patriarchal power” provided the theoretical framework guiding this article. In agreement with Bartky’s patriarchal power which coerces women to adhere to oppressive norms of femininity, perpetuates-corruption-violence on women has material effects on their bodies and therefore, forces them to modify their behavior to abettors. This infers that the body of women becomes a site of struggle, and often resistance, for both femininity and intimate partner.
Methodologically, this article is based on library research though the large part of it involves interviews with those perceived as heroines and abettors of corruption-violence and how they negotiate it and suffer internal trauma and sexually abused silently. The paper throws some light on facets of restorative justice so that justice does not only apply to the victim only but the perpetrator too in order to promote human rights for all affected by corruption-violence.

Key words: Corruption-Violence, Abuse, Trauma, Patriarchal Power, Heroines and Abettors.

I. Introduction

It is our intent to examine if victims of corruption-violence specifically women in Zambia and Lesotho experience internal trauma, sexual abuse and how they negotiate or recover from it as heroines and abettors. This is because corruption-violence threatens women’s lives on individual and societal levels. On an individual level, women accept the violence due to economic, physical psychological and unequal power relations that they suffer and are rarely recognized for their heroine act of succumbing to the experience. Women often want to confront their abusers but believe the abuser might cause them deadly harm, hence, play along with it as abettors of corruption -violence in the Zambia Correctional Service and that of Lesotho too.

Therefore, corruption-violence in Zambia and Lesotho can be described as a connivance link between criminal networks and state officers who have contributed to fuel high level of it that affects women’s mental and physical status. It is a phenomenon largely considered as Nichekeleko in the Zambian local language, Nyanja. The judicial system has not made strides to change institutionalized corruption-violence in the Police and Correctional service, despite various statutes and regulations that grant special privileges to them in Zambia, Lesotho and the rest of the world alike that are not extended to civilians. In Zambia and Lesotho, Police and Correctional officers have a right to bear arms in executing their duties as well as the right to the use of force. This places officers in a peculiar position of authority over those they are sworn to protect by preserving the peace. In agreement with Chappell and Piquero who shows that “police officers enjoy many freedoms such as; speeding, using deadly force, and seizing property world over. Not only does the occupation provide many opportunities for corruption-violence by police and correctional officers but it also provides justification of it towards women victims in particular. This is an abrogation of their mandate to preserve the peace through actions of omission or commission as well as the abuse of their authority as well as freedoms for individual women.