Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse in Milomo ya Ṋukala
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6697/21541Keywords:
gender-based violence, child abuse, radical feminist theory, patriarchal power, Tshivenḓa dramaAbstract
This article examines gender-based violence and child abuse in M. P. Ṋefefe’s Milomo ya Ṋukala (2008) through a radical feminist lens. Using qualitative textual and thematic analysis, it explores how patriarchal power operates within the domestic sphere through silence, fear, and impunity. Mr Bukuta embodies everyday male authority that escalates into incest, physical violence, and the silencing of women and children. The study shows that the home is constructed as a site of domination rather than safety, where secrecy functions as a mechanism of control. Abuse produces psychological, educational, and social harm, evident in Ntshengedzeni’s withdrawal and declining school performance, demonstrating the link between private violence and public consequences. The article argues that these harms are structural, rooted in patriarchal ideology, and reinforced by cultural norms that normalise male authority. It further positions Tshivenḓa drama as feminist resistance that exposes tabooed violence and advances counter-narratives of agency, justice, and accountability.
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Accepted 2026-04-21
Published 2026-05-20
