● Seventy-three-year-old Israel Phiri of Khwele Village, Mchinji, relates: “During the month of July 1972 we heard a rumor that the Malawi Congress Party was planning to launch a card-checking campaign throughout the country. Realizing that this would mean trouble for Jehovah’s witnesses, we decided to leave the village and go into hiding in the bush. We were thirty Witnesses all together. We stayed two months in the bush. However, suddenly, on October 5, we found ourselves surrounded by a large group of youths. They were all strange faces to me.

“As I tried to walk away, some of them got hold of me and began beating me with sticks and kicking me all over my body. It was impossible for me to see what was happening to the other brothers. Finally they left me lying unconscious on the ground. After regaining consciousness I tried to look for the other brothers but did not find them. I decided to leave Malawi for Zambia. Despite the fact that my whole body was swollen and my eyes were full of blood, with Jehovah’s help I managed to walk many miles to get to Thamanda hospital in Zambia.”

● Seventeen-year-old Rahabu Noah of Mtontho Village, Kasungu, relates: “On September 26, 1972, we received word that the youths were going from village to village attacking Jehovah’s witnesses physically and destroying their houses and property. The brothers suggested that we should go and hide ourselves in the bush and then at night take flight to Zambia. We were five sisters and three brothers. We left the village all right but, as we were going in a small path, we met a group of about twenty. They began asking for cards. None of us could produce one and so they started beating us with sticks and hitting us with fists. Next they stripped all of us naked and then continued to beat us. A group of about ten youths pushed me aside and carried me away from the others. While some were holding my hands and legs the others were raping me. I saw eight of them taking turns in raping me one after another. There was no one with a familiar face in their group. After beating us up savagely they left us. Later on I learned that the other four sisters in our group were also raped.”

● Funasi Kachipandi of Nyankhu Village, Lilongwe, gives her experience: “On October 1, 1972, after hearing reports of attacks on Jehovah’s witnesses, I decided to run away and cross over to Zambia. I left immediately along with my nineteen-year-old daughter, Dailes Kachipandi. However, it didn’t take long before we were captured by a group of unknown youths. They demanded party cards, which we could not produce. They turned us back and took us to their office near Chileka market. In my presence five youths took turns in raping my daughter. Then one of them grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. I tried to plead with him not to try and rape me as I was in my ninth month of pregnancy and I was so weak, but he could not show any human kindness. He raped me, doing so in the presence of my daughter. Then they left us. I reported these matters to the police. They took statements but did nothing. The following morning I gave birth to a child and then left the same day for Zambia, resting from time to time until we reached Zambia.”

In many other cases the names of the attackers were known to the victims. Some held official positions in the Malawi Congress Party.

● At Kamphinga Village, Matilina Chitsulo of Gwizi Village was raped by party branch chairman Kachigongo. At Mkombe Village, on October 2, 1972, Velenika Hositeni was kept in a room of the office of the M.C.P. for an entire night by the local party chairman and the party secretary, and both raped her. Seven men raped another Witness named Nezelia at the same office. Upon escaping to Zambia both women were hospitalized at Misale due to the physical abuse they had undergone.