Tanya: cutting through a web of lies

Tanya: cutting through a web of lies

• Tanya seeks gag order to hide 'dark past'

Zim asylum seekers double after UK ruling

• UK minister loses job over sex-for-asylum scandal

• 'Sex for asylum' UK officer suspended

• 'I will help you,' he said. Then he asked for sex

• Mugabe in 'come home' plea to exiles

• Home Office wins key Zim asylum ruling

• Decision will impact on all Zim asylum seekers

• UK sham marriages law struck down

Tanyaradzwa Maisiri, the teenage girl at the centre of the sex-for-asylum scandal in Britain has claimed that she was raped by one man, pushed into a forced marriage with another and starved by a third. In the public interest, New Zimbabwe.com today presents the story of Giggs (name withheld), the man Tanya (as newspapers identified her) claims she was forced to marry. In his own words, he describes a teenager locked in eternal confusion:

By Giggs

PART II CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

I WENT to Zimbabwe for a holiday sometime in 2002. It was during this time that I first met Tanya through a friend I will only identify as Tash to protect her identity.

She brought Tanya with her to my house. Later that day, I gave them a lift to Sunridge, in Mabelreign. They were both in Form 3, and apparently on this day in question they had decided to miss school to do their private business.

Tanya was fourteen years old, and it was around the month of June, that is a few days before her next birthday. I drove them to Sunridge where as it turned out, Tanya wanted to find out more about her boyfriend, I will call him Jim. She had heard rumours that the guy was married and had children and she wanted to confirm the truth.

I suggested that we visit a guy called Boss Maz who knew most of the guys in his area, to find out the truth about her boyfriend. Boss Maz at first was hesitant to tell us the truth, and I later realised why. The guy was a member of the dreaded and feared Central Intelligence Office (CIO), and he was indeed married with two kids.

We promised Boss Maz that we would not blow his cover and tell the guy our source. We left the place, and on our way back we passed through a Tuck Shop where Tanya bought some cigarettes. She told me it was "to deal with stress". I then asked her whether she was a smoker, refusing to believe that such a young and pretty girl was hooked on tobacco. She simply acknowledged that she was an occasional smoker but not a regular. I then drove back to my place and we parked at the gate.

At that point, Tash asked for my mobile phone saying she wanted to make a few phone calls. I gave her without any hesitation. Within minutes after her call, a powerful metallic green VX Land Cruiser pulled up at my driveway and picked up the two girls.

I realised that the driver was one of the late Roger Boka's sons. I will call him Charlie. The two girls jumped in and disappeared with the guy. I then went into my house and retired for the day. I did not see Tanya for some days as I was preparing to fly back to London.

On a Saturday afternoon, Tash and Tanya were passing through my area and decided to call on me. My mother was surprised to see such young girls looking for me, and warned me of the consequences, as I was an active member of the MDC. I was also dating a girl called Ano who was on her way to the United States to study.

I assured my mother that these were just friends, nothing more. I was going for a car wash with two of my friends along Enterprise Road. I invited the two girls to come along if they were interested. While at the car wash, I must admit I started to realise how beautiful Tanya was. She is woman blessed with an angelic face and confidence to go with it. She finds it easy to express herself and at times she seems to display behaviour beyond her years.

I had an opportunity to talk to her privately while still at the car wash. She told me about her past and some things were hard to believe from such a young girl. She admitted to smoking cannabis occasionally. Over the years, I encouraged her to stop her addictive drug habits, which she did.

It was a bit of a shock that Tanya had developed some really bad habits at a young age, because when you see her, you will realise that the girl has so much potential and talents. She could walk onto any film set and fit without any problems. She could model for any agency and knock some heads off. She could go to any music producer and her confidence will win her a record deal. By the way, she had a book of songs she always told me she wanted to produce. So my question to her was why was she involved in some behaviour that did not sit comfortably with her obvious potential and angelic image? The answer, I was to get a few years later.

She is a teenager whose beauty seems to be a curse. The constant attention from people of the opposite sex weigh heavily on her young and innocent shoulders.

We finished our car wash business and left the house. I dropped my friends at their homes, and dropped Tanya last as we lived in the same area. The next day was a Monday and I was leaving for England that evening. I saw Tanya and Tash in the afternoon and just had a chat with them. I told them I was flying to London the next day. I could not go anywhere as my mother wanted me to say my farewells to relatives.

Right up to this point, I was not involved with Tanya sexually in any form or shape. In as much as she was attractive, I felt it was improper for me to be involved with Tanya, though I have to admit I was tempted.

Back in London, I began calling her and I kept in touch. We started to build a friendship. While in London, I was warned by friends who knew Tanya more than I did, that I was putting myself in a dangerous and compromising position that I would regret later.

It was brought to my attention that Tanya was involved in some activities that I would be shocked to hear. A close friend of mine called Blinker made a personal appeal to me to cut any ties I had with Tanya.

But like any stubborn man, I refused to take the advice. If only I had done so, I would not have been in this situation that I find myself today.

So much was said but I never believed any of the stories as I was prepared to support Tanya through thick and thin.

For some reason, I just felt she needed someone to fight for her case, and the more people talked about her, the more I felt compelled to stand by her.

I was to meet her again some one-and-half years later, and it is only then that I became involved with her.

People in Zimbabwe thought that I was plain mad to be involved with a girl who had so many negatives in her young life. I was inspired by the negative energy from the people to fight and defend Tanya, who I felt had so much to offer other than her beautiful looks. I was to be proved wrong.

Sometime in October 2002 on a Saturday, Tanya went to Avondale to watch a movie with friends. She had sent em a text to say that she would go home as soon as the movie had finished, which never happened.

A day later, she sent me a text to say that she had been raped. I called her immediately to hear her ordeal. She wanted assurances that I would not tell her family. Her account was that she had left the movie house and passed through some places with friends. Due to transport problems, she got home late around 1am.

When she arrived home, no-one would open the door for her as it was late. It was at this moment that a car drove past. The gentleman in the car stopped and offered to take Tanya to his home for the night, which Tanya agreed to. Tanya explained to me that he knew this man through her friend, Tash. It was at his place that she was raped, according to Tanya.

The man is known in Harare as Uncle Frank, and has a reputation for the ladies. I have no reason to doubt that this did happen as Tanya at this time had no reason to lie to me. I believed her account, and I supported her through the ordeal. She asked from me whether it was possible to report the case, and I advised her that it was up to her to do so. Tanya had told me that this man was rich and was somehow connected to his friend, Tash. I just feared that no-one would believe her, especially given her public image. So I encouraged her to seek counselling and get on with her life. It was hard for her I must admit, but I was encouraged by her determination to pull through and soldier on.

This is why I find the claims in The Observer that I neglected her shocking and unbalanced. As if such damaging and humiliating allegations were not enough, The Observer goes on to say that, I rejected Tanya upon discovering that she was not a virgin.

It is shameful if not embarrassing that such a respected paper did not bother to check and confirm the truth. I knew of the alleged rape before Tanya even thought about coming to England. I supported Tanya in every way possible, and did what any sensible man in such circumstances would do, that is standing with Tanya in such a time of great need.

Tanya, in several correspondences, has acknowledged my great support, which The Observer failed to point out. Whether this was done deliberately, only the paper can explain. It would be total madness on my part to expect Tanya to have been a virgin when she arrived in England.

Despite my blind support, I was starting to sense that what I was putting myself into was more than what I could handle. People were warning me everyday that this girl is better left alone, and I lost a lot of friends who found it hard to believe that I could not listen to their genuine advice.

Don't miss tomorrow's instalment as Tanya goes on the run from the police before she is eventually captured.
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