Tjengisile Stands Up Against Gender Based Violence in Eswatini

One in every three women in Eswatini has experienced some form of gender based violence.

Many never receive the justice they deserve. Some are silenced by fear of victimization. Others are told to endure because the man is the breadwinner, and his arrest would mean no food on the table. In most cases, it is simply swept under the carpet.

Tjengisile, an alumna of African Christian College, chose a different path. For her, women are worthy. They deserve to be treated as equal citizens in society. And when the moment came to prove it, she did not hesitate.

She recalls the day her conviction was put to the test.

It was an ordinary morning. Tjengisile had stayed home from work with flu-like symptoms, resting and being cautious not to spread the illness. Then she heard it. A woman crying from a neighboring house, the kind of cry that carries desperation and helplessness in equal measure.

She did not think twice. She got up and walked straight to the source of the sound. A male neighbor, known for his drinking problem, was aggressively confronting the female caretaker of their rental property over an unpaid rent dispute. He was drunk, he was violent, and he was unstoppable. What pained Tjengisile further was that other neighbors were watching from behind their windows, unwilling to intervene.

She stepped in and stopped it.

The caretaker was willing to let the matter go. The abusive neighbor had a reputation for violence against his own wife and children, and he made it known to everyone that no one could do anything to him. That culture of fear had kept the community silent for too long. Tjengisile refused to be part of it. She walked her neighbor to the authorities and pledged to stand with her throughout the process.
The man was arrested. Tjengisile was called to testify.

“At that time, fear struck,” she admits. “Part of me felt like I was putting my family at risk, as I had heard that the guy was capable of everything. But someone had to stand up and put an end to this inhumane behavior.”

As the people of God, we cannot sit and watch people being dehumanized in the name of gender superiority or culture.

Tjengisile Maseko, 2015 Graduate.

She gathered her strength and took the stand. Justice was served.

When the man completed his sentence and returned, he confronted Tjengisile directly. She told him plainly that she would not hesitate to go back to the police station. He had learned his lesson.

“As the people of God, we cannot sit and watch people being dehumanized in the name of gender superiority or culture,” Tjengisile reflects. “No one deserves to be treated as a lesser citizen, no matter the circumstances.”

That is the kind of graduate African Christian College hopes to produce. One who does not look away when injustice unfolds, but steps forward with courage, compassion, and conviction.