Lesotho: Attack, abuse and death


Date: September 9, 2014
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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE It was a normal day like any other day. It was very hot and I had just fetched fire wood with my younger sister and my other three friends. When we got in we realised that there was also no water and we took our bucket very quickly and decided to rush to the borehole where we always fetch water. Our parents were not around and we wanted to impress them and when they got home from the field they would find hot food and water and everything in order. It was Friday in the afternoon and the schools were closed. My younger sister and I used to compete with each other, but in a good way because she would normally say she would like to see who would do everything, like collecting firewood and water, cleaning the house and cooking, so on that day we decided both of us would do them. It was really nice of us and we were enjoying helping each other and it was fun.

We got our water buckets and went to the bore hole. It was far from the village, but that was not a problem because that was what we did every day; everybody was doing it every day so it was not a challenge at all. We did not have taps in our village, so borehole water was our daily water and we survived on it for many years. It was not really a challenge and in fact we never complained about going to fetch water because we had fun and it was the life that we had known since we were little girls. As we were walking we saw a man who looked the same age as our father, but we did not take any notice of him because we were singing and just wanted to go and fetch some water and he did not show any sign that he could be dangerous to us.

When somebody was at the borehole a person could see him or her, but the one at the borehole could not see anything, so it seems as though the man saw us even when we were finished and playing, but we did not see him. When I looked up and wanted to tell my sister that we should go home, he was just there next us. He was only wearing his blanket and carrying his big stick like any other Mosotho man. My sister greeted him and he asked us when we were going home and I answered first and I told him we were just about to go, but he said he wanted to spend some time with us. I told him we were just coming to fetch some water and we needed to go home because we were supposed to cook before our parents arrived. He asked where our parents were and I told him they had gone to the field. He asked so many questions and we wanted to go, it was also getting late and we did not want our parents to get home before us. We did not want that especially because we had come to fetch water so that we could impress them, but the man did not let us go. He kept on asking questions when we tried to go.

We did not want to be rude, but we had to go, but he would not let us go. My sister decided to just take her bucket and go. He kicked my sister and she fell with her bucket of water and he asked her what she was trying to do by walking away while he was still talking to us. I tried to tell him that even though he was still talking he had no right to do that to my sister, joo! He did not take that well either, he beat me with his big stick and I fell down; my sister cried and tried to call people to come and rescue us, but nobody heard us. He beat both of us as though we had done something wrong to him. He removed his blanket and that is when I realised he was naked, he had nothing on. I think he was very hot because he was beating us or maybe he wanted to show us that he was ready to rape us, because I did not understand the whole point of a man like him walking naked. He was beating my sister more than me and she was crying. I still feel hurt because I could not help her. He fastened me with strong string, both my hands and my feet. I was like a thief; and then he went straight to my sister where she had fallen and removed her clothes with a knife and raped her; he raped my sister while I was watching, but I could not help her.

When he was done, he beat her like nothing on earth. My sister was not crying and I panicked. While I was still panicking he slaughtered her with a knife like a sheep. I just could not believe it, I cried so loudly and he came to me quickly and raped me as well, when he was done he beat me on the head with his stick and I thought I was dead. I think he also believed that because he ran way. Fortunately somebody came to fetch water and they some how met on the way and he had blood on him and that person called people to come and ordered some to follow him. We were taken to hospital but my sister did not make it.They did not catch him immediately but after three days he was caught and he is still in jail today.

This story is part of the “I” Stories series produced by the Gender Links encouraging the view that speaking out can set you free.

 


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