MENTALLY ILL WOMAN CHAINED FOR 2 YEARS

SIVULE – A woman with a  mental health condition has been kept in chains like an animal for two years.

*Titi, who is 32 years old, has been on the leash since 2017 after showing signs of being violent. She has since been rescued by social welfare officers from the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) office.

The officers were alerted about Titi’s plight by concerned community members of Sivula, an area situated under the Shiselweni I Constituency.
The area was named after Sivule Mountain, according to some senior citizens.

On Monday, the Eswatini News team paid a visit to Titi’s homestead after being tipped that she was still chained. The road to the homestead was bad, as a result, the team had to park its car and walk about two kilometres to Titi’s home.

At the homestead, members of the publication who were accompanied by the area’s development officer (bucopho), found the woman’s parents sleeping on a grass-mat under a tree.
After explaining our mission, Titi’s parents simultaneously confirmed that she had been kept on the leash since 2017.

violent

The father, *Absalom explained that they had no alternative but to keep her on leash after she became violent towards some members of the family. Absalom added that Titi would disappear from home for days with her destination unknown.
His wife Jabu concurred that their daughter disappeared from home three times.

“The last time, police came hard on us, saying we must look after Titi. That is when we took a decision to tie a heavy chain on her leg. This was meant to limit her movements,” she said, while demonstrating how they tied Titi on the ankles.

She emphasised that this was meant for Titi’s safety as far as they were concerned.
The used a heavy ball and chain to limit her movements, so in as much as she could be able to move short distances they were sure she would never stray far from home.

Wondering

The last time Titi disappeared, Jabu said she was found wondering around in Lavumisa. Lavumisa is approximately 30 kilometres away from Sivula.
Elaborating, Jabu said Titi walked about 15 kilometres to the main road where she flagged down cars, and that was how she ended up in Lavumisa. 
She then passed her appreciation to the police who assisted them to search for Titi when she disappeared from home. “If it was not  for them, I think we would have long buried her. I understand their concern,” Jabu said.

Asked if the chain would be tied to a tree in order to limit movement, she responded to the negative.

Drag

Jabu pointed out that her daughter was able to move around with the chain, but had to drag it along.  Since Titi was not around when the team arrived, Jabu requested another family member to fetch her from her room.

She emerged from a stick and mud room wearing a t-shirt and a floral skirt. She sat next to her mother on the grass mat.
After settling down, the Bucopho told her that she was a beautiful young woman, she beamed with a smile.

Continuing from where she left off, Jabu stated that social welfare workers approached them about Titi’s condition.
“Towards the end of last year, we took her to the Psychiatric Centre in Manzini for valuation. Doctors then referred us to Matsanjeni Health Centre for medication,” she explained.

However, Jabu said they were facing financial challenges and as such could not get the medication from the health centre.
She explained that they needed money for transport to and from the centre. “The doctors there said we must come with her when collecting the medication,” she said.

Jabu averred that when she informed the social workers about the challenge, she was told to engage the area’s Member of Parliament (MP).
Giving a brief background about her third born child, Jabu said Titi was born with a speech problem. “She only started to speak when she reached the age of 20 years old. Then seven years later, she developed the mental health condition,” Jabu added.

The mother of nine said Titi was her only child who did not attend school due to health challenges.
Shiselweni I MP Christian Ntshangase could not be reached for comment at the time of compiling this report.
Recently our sister publication, the  daily Times of Eswatini, reported that a father usually keeps his seven-year-old son in cuffs to deter him from his alleged wayward behaviour.

The father is accusing his son for, among other things, raping minor girls, stealing and housebreaking in their community. He alleged that the unruly behaviour of his son had created tension between him and some of his neighbours.
*Not real names.

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