Of indecent assault becoming decent, mosquito nets causing impotence

BY SIMBARASHE MSASANURI
This world never ceases to amaze me. Awful things happen especially in crammed daladalas where many people have the chance to cross that sacred line without suffering the consequences. One day as I was in one of these flying coffins where we were packed like rats, a certain lady told a man standing near her that, “we-e malaya pandisha suruari juu auskii upepo ukiingia,” Most of the passengers in this bus laughed, others started to shout obscenities on the man accusing him of taking advantage of the situation to satisfy his appetites.The man without hesitation, fastened his trousers and looked aside. What worried me about the incident is whether the man had unzipped his trousers intentionally or it was the struggle at the door that had thrown him to such as embarrassing situation.Apart from this incident there are lots more. It remains true that when one boards a commuter bus then there is no private space. The one you wouldn’t want anyone to invade except your beloved ones. This happens especially for those who fail to get seats as they are forced to do what they wouldn’t dare do elsewhere.To start with, when people are getting into daladalas, the Kondas as they are affectionately known, are the first culprits, this has become a common sight where these guys grab especially women by the waist in the name of aiding them to get in. These guys don’t mind where their hands end up as long as they achieve their mission.As if to reciprocate the ‘good’ gesture, some women also grab the Kondas by the waist or anywhere they can lay their hands on. Being a principled person as I am, I have been tormenting myself as to why people were doing such things because if you follow the same woman who has been grabbed by the Konda and try to do exactly what the Konda did to her, but this time not in the bus but on the streets, then you will regret the day you were born.The other day I got into a daladala and luckily I managed to get a seat next to the passage. But when the bus was fully packed, I regretted having secured the seat because this big mama came and placed her heavy back on my shoulder. To tell the truth I didn’t know what to do because the situation was embarrassing, I had to endure the agony and embarrassment which lasted almost three quarters of the journey.There is a lot of touching and shoving in the buses and sometimes men and women are forced to stand in the passage back to back with their backs brushing against each other. Some men take advantage and stand pressing hard at the backs of women; I just hope that they won’t be fantasizing.One day, a certain man did that and everyone was surprised as the lady in front of her jumped. But what shocked me was that she just looked at the man and moved away from him without saying a word but her face had it all written. Up to now I don’t know what that man did to her. But what ever he did then he must have crossed that line.Our daladalas are fast becoming our own little Sodoms and Gomorrahs where people are free to do what they wouldn’t do anywhere else except in closed doors. Dear reader if you think that this is mere fiction then you have the liberty to try it yourself and board the daladalas. As if this is not enough, men from Singida recently hit the headlines when in a bid to justify their incompetence in between the sheets blamed mosquito nets for causing impotence.Reports from Singida are that men in that region are refusing to use mosquito nets claiming that they cause impotence, running noses and nightmares. This was revealed during a four-day malaria control workshop held in the region attended by 28 participants who were to become agents responsible for spearheading an anti-malaria campaign in the area.The participants confirmed that in the areas they come from some men were refusing to use mosquito nets because of very unscientific reasons. Men complain that when they use mosquito nets then their sexual appetite vanishes.To tell the truth, this is the first time I am hearing of this and if ever it is true, then these people should be using unique and different kinds of nets from the ones I and other people through out the country are using.The children and the vulnerable such as women in the area are suffering the consequences of a backward community that not only still holds onto old traditions and beliefs but is adamant to change that at the end of the day see innocent lives being lost.It is surprising that despite having witnessed their children, relatives and fellow villagers succumbing to malaria, many men in the area are still holding on to the belief, further endangering their lives.Something should be done to prove to these people that mosquito nets are helpful and don’t cause impotence. This quickly reminds me of a saying that not knowing is tantamount to death. Yes I agree with that statement as failure to know what can save your life is like killing yourself.This is a challenge to the government to make sure that these people are educated and more lives are saved. Scribes, this is our time to make sure that we educate these people on the importance of mosquito nets. I know most of them might be illiterate but use of radio, arguably the cheapest means of accessing information in rural Africa will come in handy.It won’t be surprising that there are other people in some regions who have the same or different but silly reasons for not using nets while they continue to succumb to malaria. A stitch in time saves many, it’s time to act and kick malaria out of Tanzania. God bless you.bongoblast@thisday.co.tz