Mixed reactions over jail term for Malawi “sexual cleanser”

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Eric Aniva (R), known as a "hyena," arrives to the Magistrate Court in Nsanje. Image by: ELDSON CHAGARA / AFP

The sentencing of a Malawian man to two years imprisonment for performing “sexual cleansing” to widows and underage girls has attracted mixed reactions from Malawians.

Eric Aniva, 45, was arrested on July 25 following President Peter Mutharika’s directive after the man revealed that he had had sex with over 100 young girls
and bereaved widows.

Aniva, known as a ‘hyena,’ who claimed his act was done at a fee in the name of cultural cleansing also admitted to BBC prior to his arrest that he was HIV positive.

In some parts of Malawi, men known as ‘hyenas’ offer paid sex service for newly-bereaved widows and young girls to fend off bad luck.

A local magistrate court in the southern district of Nsanje, where Aniva hails from, found the man guilty of engaging in and attempting to engage in “harmful practices”.

His sentencing has, however, triggered mixed reactions from Malawians through the social and local media monitored by Xinhua, with some saying he deserved a stiffer penalty.

“It’s really a mockery of justice; the maximum sentence for defilement is 14 years imprisonment,
“What Aniva did to the young girls within the 100 victims is tantamount to defilement and he ought to have been punished severely,” wrote a Malawian journalist, Pat Botha, on the social media.
 
“Think of how many young girls and women he has put to the risk of contracting the virus.

“And how many people have Aniva’s clients exposed to the risk of contracting the virus. It is a total chaos: he has put the whole village under a curse,” she said.

However, Aniva is not without sympathisers who think he was just a victim of circumstances who did not deserve to be punished for indulging in what is culturally acceptable in his community.

“It is a deep-rooted cultural practice that cannot be taken away from the people by sending men to jail,” said Sifa Velosi on a WhatsApp group debate.

“Men like Aniva, ‘hyenas’ as we call them, are in every village among the Sena people and they are hired to perform sexual cleansing to widows and newly-initiated girls.

“It is a custom and it has never been an issue until now,” he said.

Another respondent on the WhatsApp group, a teacher based in the capital, Lilongwe, pointed out that Aniva’s conviction would only succeed in making the practice more secretive and lucrative as ‘hyenas’ would charge an extra penny for the risk.

In July, President Mutharika who emphasised the need to promote positive cultural values and socialisation of children, however, said harmful cultural and traditional practices shall never be accepted.