Forward ever Sisi Tino Katsande…

                                                                                                                                               

Dear Sisi,

Just as we had expected, that out of all the forensic evidence you laboured to supply about what did or did not transpire on the fateful day of your disfigurement, our enemies have stood firm, feeding the dark cloud which hangs above your ill-fated ordeal. They are relentless in their pursuit to discredit you Sisi and nit picking alleged inconsistencies in your story. So what if the story you tweeted is completely a different book from the story presented in court – isn’t that what they call freedom of expression, and besides Magistrates don’t read tweets, they expect a fresh serving of their own when it comes to trial accounts. It is shocking how ignorant and backward some of these comments on social networking platforms are –  for crying out loud have they not ever watched a simple movie called the Matrix. If they have then they will know that there are many parallel universes, and in each one Sisi, there is a replica of you, which explains how you ended up with two completely divorced accounts of what happened on Sunday. And for as long as it takes we stand by you, never mind from which universe the current you is from at any given time, and which ever account you give.

Brother Brian must pay and pay he will for bashing you blue-black like that. (Vazopinda munjodzi chaiyo manje tsano Brian, apa imi Sisi mapona). The cause we are fighting for is not about consistencies, character histories or even tact, its about getting the story out there and pump it with fact, fiction, thoughts and whatever arsenal we can lay our hands and mouths on. This is what will win the war, and this particular battle is already won. November 29, when your trial resumes seems an eternity, is there no one we can buy lunch for Sisi, so that things move a little faster, or perhaps not, since the trial will nest itself deep in the thick of 16 days against gender violence. Maybe then we will have the full backing of others from the women’s movement who have remained suspiciously mum on such an important matter involving a high profile figure like you Sisi. You are not Maneta or Bev Sisi, they ought to give you more respect. I will write to you again Sisi when the trial resumes. Just my thoughts, nothing personal.

Tino Katsande… Ahh sorry Sisi!

Let me start by apologising to you sisi, on behalf of all the men-folk for the terrible bashing that you had to endure at the hands of Brother Brian. No one should ever have to go through this especially without any provocation what-so- ever. I know you my sister to be very well mannered and cool headed, you inspire us with your softness, particularly your knack for knowing what to say and when to say it, I can’t imagine anyone being provoked by the way you conduct yourself. This is who you are. I also know that this terror on you was not any act of retaliation because you are not like those other spike-tongued ladies, who literally beckon abuse with their foot-in-mouth-disease. You are as soft as they come, you most certainly cannot be accused of belligerence. Regrettable that this had to happen.

I hear that shameless Brother Brian is out on $100 bail. What a dangerous thing to do, exposing the world to such villainous terror. Just so that you know sisi, we have enemies, who have started spreading malicious rumours that you too have always been in the habit of abusing Brother Brian and that the fateful day when he disfigured you, was the day he decided to hit back – How absurd, that cannot be true, even though there are many witnesses to this allegation. I stand by you and say they are all liars, liars, liars. And for these brazen liars to further add that you are known to have perpetrated violence on Brother Brian- occasionally bashing him on the head with all manner of pots and pans is ludicrous.

Anyway while you were gasping for survival, suffering the indignity of assault, and the humiliation of loss, social networking platforms were busy running a rant about your unsolicited misfortune –Vanhu vatowanaka muriwo wekuseva vhiki rose. Yes, some are on our side sisi, expressing their genuine sympathies while others keep requesting for the totally irrelevant other side of the story.  Of what importance is it?  – Some even daring to question whether it’s really true that the mere request for Brother Brian to help out in the house was his full moon, instantly transforming him into the Werewolf that attacked you.  When has the other side of the story ever mattered in a case such as this, worse still, now there are emerging fictitious falsehoods of your own violent nature. We stand by you sisi and admonish Brother Brian for his unbecoming behaviour. Let’s assume even by some wild stretch of the imagination, that you had provoked (ofcourse this could never happen) Brother Brian, he had no reason, right nor permissible human reflex to unleash such terror on you. Though they may say you are a drama queen trying to harvest cheap mileage ahead of sixteen days of activism against gender violence, I know better than listen to such unfounded and baseless deductions. Who in their right mind could find time under the circumstances to be so calculating as to whip up a media frenzy. You are our hero sisi, the enlightened one, fighting gender violence from within.

Your tragedy sisi came just hot on the heels of this yet another misguided article I was reading in the Monday Herald featured on the Gender Desk, claiming that men too are victims of GBV- what nonsense. Its all too common knowledge that its only women like you sisi , the calm and quiet ones, who are victims of domestic violence, or if you prefer the more fancy expression gender based violence. I have never heard of a man abused by emotionally or even otherwise, nah, nada-simply has never happened.  Shall we kneel now and thank our gods that we have a platform through the station you work for sisi, to make this sad happening a real big issue – a media festival. And we close our ears and eyes to all those who are trying to restrain us by saying we are blowing the mundane out of proportion. And just so that tabloid journalists know, it does not bother us whether Brother Brian is referred to as a husband, lover or boyfriend, what matters is the senseless and unprovoked crime he committed. I will write to you again sisi, as the saga unwinds. Speedy recovery!. Just my thoughts on behalf of my sister, nothing personal Brother Brian.