Sando Kunewe Tindo: The Zimbabwe Citizen Award for Courage 2014 CITATION: For standing up to protect your sister - a stranger; who was being stripped and abused by your fellow Zimbabwean brothers, this December 2014. He reached out. A son, miles away, telling a mother his story, that traumatic experience, that day which changed his world in an instant. Tindo was not only a witness to a violent crime, when a young girl was stripped by touts in Harare at 4th Street Rank. He is also a victim of the said crime and violence, pushed, shoved, battered and clothes torn. He did what was unimaginable, saw a stranger under attack and stood in to protect her. A stranger he had never met, a stranger he rescued from sweaty armpits of rowdy abusers. He, together with other good nurtured strangers, helped the girl to board a Kombi and leave the scene of the crime. Maam, I do not even know her name, I could not even ask, I just helped her. Mwari akandipa simba kana nanhasi its like a dream. It all happened so fast.... His voice drifted away.That single act of courage, changed this young mans life. All we can do is to say thank you. We need more role models like Tindo, ordinary citizens, who dare to stand up against mob justice and lawlessness in our country. Its Sunday today, and I was reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37: In reply to the question Who is Your Neighbor?, Jesus said: Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. Many of us turn away, when confronted with violence, abuse and injustice. For Tindo, inaction was complicity. He stood for what is right, and just. He stood up against mob justice. We can together continue to find ways to ensure that our cities are safe, people are treated and treat each other with respect and dignity. Indeed, Zimbabwe has to address the underlying issue that fuel such violence against women and girls, the attitudes in society towards women and unacceptable levels of unemployment especially among our youths. I hope many Zimbabweans will at the Harare Magistrates Courts tomorrow morning, when Marvelous Kandemiri and his co-accused will be in court for hearing.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 18:02:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015