A local weekly, the Sunday Mail newspaper recently carried a
very disturbing story on allegations of sexual abuse of female worshippers by well-known
clergyman Walter Magaya. Titled, ‘Magaya Bombshell’ the story gave
accounts of some of the worshippers and how they were either victims or witness
to the alleged sexual abuse. One of the victims
also claimed that ‘…the police were compromised and so were most of the journalists…’
so recourse to the law or the court of
public opinion was by implication, difficult.
After the story had been published, social media also had
its say on the allegations. And one of
the alleged victims cited in the Sunday Mail’s story took to Facebook to accuse
the paper and journalist who broke the story of ‘using her’ to fix the
clergyman. The newspaper and its
journalists in turn released video snippets of the alleged victim’s interview and
promised a follow up story in its next print edition.
In one of the videos shared by the paper, the victim makes
reference to Magaya having given her US$1500 in fifty dollar notes and how she
had knelt down in gratitude, a point I will come back to later.
This particular story has caused a lot of debate on social
media probably because of the popularity/populism of the celebrity religious pastor
involved. And with all matters religious
the debate has focused more on the (im)morality of the figure in question.
Together with the societal behavior influence he yields as a result of his ministry
and his wealth.
Across the Atlantic, a billionaire financier and friend of a
former and a serving American president, Jeffrey Epstein was recently arrested and
faces charges of sex trafficking. For more than ten years Epstein had been
accused of sexually abusing minor girls. He had even managed to strike a deal
with prosecutors that stopped a federal investigation into the
allegations. Using money and probably
political connections he had been almost immune from indictment. At least as reported in American media, he
will be put to his defence in that country’s judicial system.
I have cited the allegations against Magaya and Epstein in tandem
because they have a number of things in coomon.
Even if one is a clergyman and the other a billionaire financier. The first common factor in the allegations is
the alleged use of money to either pay off the abused or to lure them into
abuse. Epstein reportedly paid his victims
‘hundreds of dollars’. Magaya reportedly
offered US$1500 prior to the abuse. It
would almost be as though the fact that they have money would justify their
actions.
This is where the evil (I use this word deliberately) of the
commodification of the female body comes into the picture.
One of Magaya’s alleged victims describes the scene in which
she received money as having knelt before him crying with gratitude. It’s not difficult to picture the power
dynamics at play here: standing ‘prophet’+ money and a kneeling vulnerable woman. The assumption of power and the right of
exchange is entirely with the money giver.
And the female body here is the designated/arbitrarily valued commodity.
The same with Epstein who not only allegedly paid his
victims but also recruited them to recruit others, that is to become
commodities that lure other commodities.
While we have to defer to due legal process the allegations
are therefore a reflection of the tragic circumstances in which many young and
economically vulnerable young women find themselves.
But these two cases are the direct result of a neo-liberal
global political-economic system that creates powerful men who live as though
they are above the law and can purchase anything they want because they have
money. And making this appear to be as normal as it can be. In most cases such individuals function with
an impunity garnered either from political protection, instilling fear in alleged
victims and ensuring they avoid the glare of the media using either, again,
money or influencing media owners.
On the latter point of avoiding the public glare, it is also
significant that they also seek to influence public opinion. In the case of Magaya and judging by some social
media responses, it is clear that members of his church are keen on defending
him. In doing so they cast aspersions on the alleged victim’s credibility or
morality. Or they may get the alleged victims
to retract previous statements published or given to the mainstream media. And because
for many Zimbabweans, money, particularly, the $US, is a fetish in and of itself,
the transaction between the alleged abuser and the abused makes the story one
of morality than it would be of a crime.
Again we must ask ourselves what causes such vulnerability of
young women to predators. It is largely
the political, economic and cultural system as a whole. Economic in the sense of high levels of
poverty and exclusion from mainstream opportunity for young women and men that
come from lower but quantitatively larger economic classes. Political in the
sense that this system is nurtured by a neo-liberal, highly individualistic consensus
between holders of political power and those that own capital (money). None
wants to bring the other to account because of what appears to be a mutually beneficial
relationship.
Cultural in relation to how it mixes religion with monetary,
lifestyle and even sexual desire. Neo-liberalism
has created a very strong culture of individualism in Zimbabwe and beyond. And these individuals have aspirations of ownership
and lifestyles that they may never be in a position to acquire in reality. Even if they try the route of the promises of
prophets and their hedonistic churches.
Or even via access to the wealthy elite (normally politicians and
connected owners of big business or state tenders) who equally wield such power
over young Zimbabweans. All they see is what they envy, the power of it. Hence the limited public outcry or the satirical social media banter over such allegations.
But more regrettably, as a final point, there are some (young and old) who would
envy such power or are assiduously working to acquire it.
*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)
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