Early this week, Mary
Mubaiwa, former wife to Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Constantine Chiwenga appeared
in court facing several charges ranging from attempting to kill VP Chiwenga
when he was battling for his life at a South African in hospital. She has been
on routine remand for 15 months now with
the court failing to put her on trial.Everytime,she has appeared in court,
images of her swollen legs and hands have gone viral with many netizens
expressing shock as to what could be eating up the former wife of one of
Zimbabwe’s powerful politicians. To this end, very little information is known
about the cause of the disease that is eating her up.
The lack of such
information has made discussion around the health of public officials futile.
During the tenure of former President Robert Mugabe, there were rumours to the
effect that the he had prostate cancer. Even in his death, the cause of death remains
secretive. That information is only known by a selective few in foreign
countries where he frequented for medical reviews and checkups. These medical
professionals are up to this day still bound by the non-disclosure and
confidentiality clause. Secrecy over ill health allows public figures to avoid
the stigma associated with certain ailments and maintain their image as heroic
and invincible. Unfortunately, it also reinforces a culture of hiding illnesses
and perpetuating the stigma, guilt, disdain, and shame often associated with
poor health. In the interest of the public, disclosure of an ailment allows for
research, awareness and addresses issues of stigma.
A useful example if that
of former American President, Ronald Reagan who was diagnosed with colon cancer
in 1985.In that instance, Reagan’s diagnosis and treatment was formally
disclosed in detail to the public
,generating widespread media coverage and dispassionate public discussions.
Later in the years, researchers later found that the disclosure birthed a
public discourse on dietary habits and an increase in awareness around the
importance of health monitoring. In the years that followed after the
disclosure there was a sharp drop in advanced colon cancer cases likely due to
early detection and public disclosure.
In the past, even VP
Chiwenga was down with an undisclosed ailment that saw him even seeking medical
attention in China where he was kept for several months while recuperating.
While even rumours of his imagined death made the rounds during his stay in hospital,
the details of the cause of the ailment still remained top secret. In 2019,
President Emmerson Mnangagwa while giving an update to the nation on the
condition of the VP, only highlighted
that his “condition remained remarkably stable”. Sadly years later, after a
messy divorce, Mary Chiwenga cannot have the privilege of seeking medical
attention abroad. In a turn of events, unlike his want-away husband whose
sickness was secretive, she has had live with the “shame and embarrassment” of
coming face to face with the media during routine remand. People who have
interacted with her recent pictures have expressed shock and disdain over her
deteriorating condition. Attempts by her lawyers to remove her off routine
remand have all been struck down by the courts. Given the sensitivities around
her dilemma, all the public can do for now is to shed sympathy and tears and
watch from a distance as a mysterious ailment eats her away. What a sorry
sight! In a normal country where issues of public health are prioritised, her
sickness is not supposed to be a top guarded secret. The general public must be
given a sneak preview of the ailment that to some is still mysterious.
Revealing one’s condition can open up opportunities for even the general public
or other health practititioners to lend a helping hand. Watching her come for
routine remand is disturbing. At one point she was brought to court by an
ambulance. All this proves her deteriorating condition and the stigma attached.
Recent researches around
COVID 19 have revealed the high predominance of illness-related stigmatization
and discrimination in Africa. Guilt and shame is more common when conditions
are infectious, terminal or are deemed to have some moral or spiritual
connotations. In such circumstances, patients often report to health facilities
only when their symptoms are too advanced for meaningful intervention. This
often leads to poorer treatment outcomes, higher care burdens and higher
mortality rates, which further perpetuates fears and contributes to a general
lack of knowledge about many illnesses. The resulting stigma can become so
entrenched that it tarnishes the image of the deceased and their family.
In the final analysis, the
Mary Chiwenga must come out of her shell and speak openly about her ailment.
She has lost all there is in this world and is only left with her life to
preserve. Going public about issues around her ailment will help the public to
learn more about the disease and in some
cases even proffer solutions that can assist her.
Rawlings
Magede is a Development Practitioner who writes here in his personal capacity.
Feedback on vamagede@gmail.com
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