"Wearing Black On Social Media Doesn't Help Rape Victims"

A comment criticising the #BlackWednesday social media campaign this week has drawn mixed but highly emotional reactions to how organisations and individuals have responded to allegations of rape committed during the military and police crackdown on civilians.

The comment, made by one Jaqueline Sande, said that posing for pictures in black and posting them on social media in apparent support of victims of rape is unhelpful to the victims.

She said organisations that took part in the #BlackWednesday social media campaign could have done more on the ground to follow up on the reports and to offer help to the victims.

Sande commented:

Instead of wearing black and posturing on status and timelines, I suggest women’s organizations trace the said victims and assist them get justice and give them assurance and security through the process. Wear black then how does it help a rape victim. So lame

Non-profit and diplomatic organisations that took part in the campaign include Shamwari Yemwanasikana, US Embassy Harare, Candian Embassy, and Research & Advocacy Unit among others. It is unclear what efforts to follow up on the rape allegations and what help the organisations have provided offline. There are indications that they did.

Some of the reactions to Sande’s include the following:

It’s OK to say Nematambudziko & NOT PAY CHEMA Get well soon & NOT PAY MEDICAL BILLS Good luck in exams & NOT PAY EXAM FEE While there is value in CAPITALIZED actions,doing the former only is NOT LAME. It’s showing Ubuntu. It’s our way of saying “we feel yo pain”. – chamhembe

You’ve missed the point. Its called solidarity & awareness. I know two organisations working to connect with victims to provide trauma support. Wearing black is sending a message 1st to victims that their trauma is not invisible 2ndly to perpetrators that the crime cant be buried – Ms Lion

Conditioned, brainwashed to be a murakashi, blinded to efforts to raise awareness against wickedness. Just like placing value on looted items over lost lives..low thinking of murakashi – Chief D Welrich  Muamba