In some remote southern regions of Malawi, it’s traditional for girls to be made to have sex with a paid sex worker known as a “hyena” once they reach puberty. The act is not seen by village elders as rape, but as a form of ritual “cleansing”. However, as Ed Butler reports, it has the potential to be the opposite of cleansing – a way of spreading disease.NSANJE-(MaraviPost) – The Malawi First Grade Magistrate Court in the southern district of Nsanje has on Friday found Eric Aniva, a man who has been sleeping with over 100 girls and widows through sexual cleansing rituals guilty.
Aniva, who is commonly known as “Nsanje Hyena”, was found guilty of two offences which are engaging in harmful practices and attempting to engage in harmful practices contrary to Section 5 subsections 1 and 2 of the Gender Act of 2013.
Principal Resident Magistrate Innocent Nebi told the jam-packed court that the sentence is set for November 22, 2016.
But Aniva remained calm throughout the court proceedings.
Lawyer representing the convict, Micheal Goba Chipeta, pleaded with the court not to give a stiff punishment to his client saying besides being first offender to commit such an offence, he was doing the malpractice on the influence of the community.
“Your Worship, the conviction to my client has been welcomed. However, being the first offender and again he was doing this under the influence of the community, I think Mr Aniva doesn’t deserve a stiff punishment, “queried Chipeta.
Chipeta further threatened to appeal against the ruling which is set for November 22, 2016.
Since the Nsanje based Aniva was arrested on July 25, 2016 following President Mutharikas directive, the court has been denying him freedom despite several bail applications.
Aniva, 45, was detained after confessed to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) television interview on July 21 that he slept with more than 100 adolescent girls as part of initiation rites into womanhood and sleeping with widows in a sexual cleansing ritual.
During the interview with the BBC Aniva disclosed that locals used to pay him money in the range of £3 to £5 to perform the sex rituals.
Aniva added that as a hyena, the main duty is overseeing a coming-of-age ritual, where girls take part in sex over a three-day period after their first menstruation.