GBM Says Beating a Wife Is Sign Of Love

A loving way of beating a wife is acceptable in my culture, says defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.
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.
Mwamba in 2010 beat up his wife Chama after a marital dispute at their Kabulonga residence in Lusaka.
According to a medical report which Chama obtained at Woodlands Police Station in Lusaka dated September 5, 2010, she sustained a cut on her forehead and general body pains.
“Fists are alleged to have been used in the act. Beaten and assaulted by a known person,” the report read in part.
Mwamba was later arrested for assaulting Chama.
Later that month, Mwamba said it would be irresponsible for him to divorce.
In an interview with The Post after he was arrested for assaulting Chama, Mwamba said he had reconciled with his wife.
“She is the mother of my five children and grandmother of my three grandchildren, so it will be irresponsible for the two of us to divorce. I have said sorry to my wife for what happened and she has accepted my apology. I also continue to apologise to the public and I expect that they will accept my apology. I am really sorry. My wife and I have lived together for more than 32 years. This means that we have spent more than half our lives together, so it will be very irresponsible for us to divorce at this stage. What happened is unfortunate and I most regret it. Those who have followed my family life know that I love my wife and she loves me. This is how we intend to continue living as a family.”
The case was later withdrawn.
And Mwamba said it was clear that the external support for HIV and AIDS programme was waning, especially for prevention even though the end of the epidemic was nowhere in sight.
He said there was need for government to forge a new partnership with the private sector to drive the multisectoral HIV and AIDS agenda beyond the workplace using the Brothers for Life national campaign as a starting point.
“In 2011 alone, 69,000 new HIV infections occurred out of which 27,000 were among young people aged between 15-24 years. Every hour of the day, there are youths of the same age group, who get infected with HIV, two of whom are girls. It is indeed a national security threat. Young people affected are also part of our present and future labour force. Reduction of alcohol abuse is another objective of the Brothers for Life campaign as it also fuels the HIV epidemic through indulgence in HIV risky behaviours,” he said.
Mwamba said GBV was mainly orchestrated by men, adding that it was one of the largest barriers to winning the fight against HIV, denying victims of many readily available services such as HIV testing and ARVs.
Meanwhile, National AIDS Council board chairman Bishop Joshua Banda said men and women with higher education had higher HIV prevalence than those with lower education.
And UNICEF Zambia representative Dr Iyorlumun Uhaa said it shocked him to be learn that a major driver of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zambia were men in their prime age, between 30 and 40 years old, with university degrees.