“If he could kill the all first-born children in Egypt what could stop him from…

…abolishing small houses? ”

I’m quoting from an article I found about adulterers in Zimbabwe and a female pastor who’s taken it upon herself to rid the country of “small houses” — what these marriage wrecking women are called. Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Church pastor, Lilian Bwanya, expects to have them all stopped by next year.

Good luck with that.

At least the woman I quoted, Mrs Ellis Sibanda of Lobengula, wasn’t suggesting God could solve this problem himself by killing all the girlfriends in one fell swoop and neither is Pastor Bwanya. She’s hoping her crusades and her spiritual powers will make men want only their wives again.

The Pastor told a Bulawayo-based tabloid B-Metro recently that she believes with her power of prayer the country can get rid itself of the menace of small houses which have destroyed many homes.

Bwanya is currently conducting a seminar at a Baptist Church in Bulawayo to denounce small houses and deliver many from this bondage.

This relationship arrangement is practically institutional there; almost everybody’s doing it. It must be said, though, whether people approve of her method or not, whether people think prayer can solve this or not, there is actually a health concern at the crux of all this, one another group is actively trying to fight: HIV transmission. Last year Action Institute for Environment, Health and Development Communication launched a campaign and film series called One Love. Quoting from All Africa:

Zimbabwe has managed to reduce the HIV infection rate over the last few years to 18 percent.

But small houses and more particularly the discarding of the condom as well as gender inequality threaten these gains, with married women particularly at risk.

Caroline Nyamayemombe of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said married women faced difficulties in marital affairs.

“Married women continue to face the high risk of HIV and Aids infection, because it is difficult for them to persuade their partners to use condoms when they suspect them of having extra-marital affairs or relationships,” she said.

Leading inevitably to suicides and murders, too.

Unfortunately, a lot of the men and women involved in these relationships like the arrangement and see nothing wrong with it, which has made it harder to combat. A more recent article highlights the issue in terms of advertising campaigns.

One advert shows a soccer player who says that he is a winner because he is circumcised. The advert would do well to be gender sensitive and have a woman by the side saying we are the winners. With circumcision said to cut the rate of infection by 60 percent, it means a partner who is less likely to infect the woman is a plus to all.

This could well cut the rate of new infections greatly. Adverts therefore ought to draw both the males and females as the virus affects both. Inclusive winning solutions beamed for all to see would be beneficial.

They’d also like to see more that target the not-yet-active youth and encourage them to make smart health choices when the time comes.

its possible to have an HIV free generation if the message gets to them from an early age. Sex education is taboo in most homes, school curricular is helping as they now teach HIV and Aids related issues.

Together we can overturn the pandemic tide and all be winners.

So there are good reasons to say be safe and don’t sleep around, but for Bwanya to claim her prophecy and prayers will be the means to the end of that.. well, it’s silly, frankly. Maybe a few households will benefit from her meddling but the whole country? No way in hell. More from EHDC, more education, more encouragement to be smart with body parts is the way to fix this. Religion doesn’t even have to enter into it.