BULAWAYO – Two pregnant women were raped at a hospital’s maternity home in Matobo district early last Wednesday, police said.
Two men entered a room where three expecting women were sleeping using an open window. One woman fled from the room but two were raped, according to Assistant Inspector Thabani Mkhwananzi of Matabeleland South police.
The mothers were in a maternity waiting room at Maphisa District Hospital. Rural hospitals house expecting mothers, typically from eight months, to ensure timely medical care as most come from remote areas with no transport.
“We haven’t yet made an arrest and investigations are still underway,” said Mkhwananzi.
It is the second reported major breach of a maternity ward of a hospital after another incident at Epworth Clinic in Harare last month where a new-born baby was snatched by a woman who later told police she wanted the tot’s head for rituals.
The woman was arrested by an alert security guard before she could leave the clinic’s perimeter.
Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said attacks on pregnant women were not uncommon, although she did not readily have figures.
“We’ve intensified patrols by our guards and we plan to repair the vandalised perimeter fence, erect burglar bars, and screen doors in all departments,” Chikodzore told the Sunday News.
“The ministry has also installed a huge solar plant so we need to erect street lights within the institution as well.”
Maphisa Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer Elvis Sibanda said they had requested the Ministry of Health and Child Care and police to tighten security at hospitals.
