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The Non Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has condemned in the strongest terms the statement attributed to Defense Minister Geoffrey Mwamba in today’s edition of POST newspaper suggesting that when a man beats his wife it’s a sign of love.
Speaking to Qfm news in an interview this today, NGOCC acting Executive Director Bridget kalaba said that her organization was saddened to see that a person of high ranking position in government such as the Defense Minster can make negative statements that degrade all women in the country.
Kalaba noted that the statement by the defense minister is also an indication that he has no regard for the women.
Kalaba said that women must be respected regardless of their status in society.
She further noted that the law on gender based violence should not be overlooked by all peace loving Zambians.
Yesterday, the Defence Minister was quoted as saying a loving way of beating a wife is acceptable in his culture. During a Brothers for Life corporate breakfast meeting in Lusaka yesterday, Mwamba said gender-based Violence in a ‘mild’ way was acceptable where he came from.
The working business breakfast meeting had a specific objective of securing support from the private sector towards increasing men’s involvement in addressing HIV, reducing gender-based violence and irresponsible alcohol consumption through the ‘Brothers for Life’ campaign.
“Dr Banda during his presentation, I saw a clip where gender-based violence was quite prominent. And again he did mention in his presentation that certain cultures take gender-based violence as a way of showing love to your partner. Where I come from, where Bishop Banda comes from, I think that is part of the game. If I don’t beat my wife, what I mean by saying beating my wife, I don’t mean beating my wife to an extent where she starts bleeding. There are two ways of beating. So I think gender-based violence, in a way, is also accepted but in a mild way,” said Mwamba.
Meanwhile GBM’s wife Chama has challenged women to come out in the open if they’ve never been beaten by their spouses during their marriage life.
“Ask any woman, one who has never been beaten before,let her come out and say it to the nation,”Mrs Mwamba challenged.
Mwamba in 2011 beat up his wife Chama after a marital dispute at their Kabulonga residence in Lusaka.
According to a medical report which Chama obtained from woodlands police station in Lusaka dated September 5,2011, she sustained a cut on her forehead and general body pains.
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