On March 10th 2010 some 54 brave villagers gathered to claim back their pre-school building from the jaws of violence. This community utility building once a happy place filled with children’s laughter had become a dreaded place shunned by the community and seen as a god forsaken structure, now known as the ‘slaughter’.

This gathering included the headman and 4 of his kraal heads, local Christians from 7 denominations and some non-church people. Visiting pastors from Bulawayo, Tsholotsho and Lupane centres and GTH staff facilitated the service.

The service was part of the follow up arising from the workshop held in Madona; Tsholotsho in August 2009 which raised many issues that needed follow up which we have been making since that time. This has to do with the misuse of the community’s preschool building.
During the run up to the June 2008 presidential election re-run, a group of former liberation war veterans annexed the building and established their ‘campaign base’ there from which they launched forays into the community to ‘campaign’ for their party.

Those villagers perceived to be opposition party supporters or whose allegiance was in doubt were often summoned to the base. While thankfully, unlike in other parts of the country, people were not beaten or tortured physically, people were often subjected to psychological violence through threats of death or beatings.

Several people related stories of how they fled their homes for fear of being harmed after being summoned to the base, which became known as the “Slaughter”. This name has stuck and as a result this place meant for the edification of the community’s children is now synonymous with violence and is now lying in a state of disuse and neglect.

During the August workshop the participants expressed a desire to ‘exorcise’ the place of its notoriety and reclaim it back for its original use. As if to reiterate its degradation, unsavoury graffiti with sexual innuendos now fills the walls.

For most of the people present this was their first time to voluntarily and freely enter this building since 2008 and that act alone was a bold step towards reclaiming their freedom from the fear and terror of the past. The liturgy of the service was designed to empower the community and to encourage them to feel that they could rescue their building and return it to its rightful use.

The purpose of the huge large delegation of staff and visiting pastors (14 in all) was to show solidarity and to assure the community that they have our support. At the end of the service several candles were lit and passed from person to person with this declaration, “Take here, the light has come among us today”. This symbolised the end of the darkness of fear and violence and the coming of peace and courage.