COULD IGNORANCE OVER TRANS ISSUES HAVE COST AUNT VICTORIA HER LIFE?

By: Nomancotsho Phakade (Link Program Coordinator)

In Tanzania homosexual conduct is criminalised by the Penal Code of 1945 under section 154 through its definition of ‘unnatural offences’ which is inclusive of males but very elusive with regards to female same-sex relations. Thus male same-sex relations are punishable by 20 years or more. Although Zanzibar is an exception to this, as its 2004 amendment of the 1934 Penal Code, punishes female same-sex relations by up to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of 700,000 shillings.

Tanzania hardly features in discussions related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) society.  From the 19th of May 2009, Tanzanian newspapers were speculating about the death of a transwoman who died in Dar es Salaam and a gay man who was apparently ’killed by dogs’.

The Daily News reported that Aunt Victoria, who was born as Abdala Aluu is the first known case in Tanzania of a transwoman (MTF). After aunt Victoria was admitted in an unconscious state in Muhimbili National Hospital, officials classified her case as a suicide attempt.

Jeza Waziri, the senior public relations officer at the hospital, told the Daily News they ‘found traces of toxic drugs’ and that Aunt Victoria exhibited symptoms of meningitis.

According to a doctor who is part of hospital alumni, professional doctors at the Muhimbili National Hospital were very unprofessional with their comments that he says echoed not only ignorance but also limited information about the transgender people or LGBTI issues. Our informant added that the doctors’ practice in this hospital is merely limited to tropical diseases and they are not interested in advancing their knowledge.

When Aunt Victoria was admitted she was allegedly unconscious and the officials at the hospital allegedly took advantage of exposing her body to their colleagues and civilians as they had never seen someone who has undergone a sex reassignment before. 

Dr. Mbonile Lumile pointed out that these health care professionals were clearly unethical and they have bridged some medical codes of conduct.

Furthermore, pictures exposing Aunt Victoria’s breasts were taken while she was still unconscious in hospital and these are being widely disseminated. Lumile insists that there is not enough information on transgender people in Tanzania as they are being confused with gay people.

It was reported that Aunt Victoria died due to slow poisoning of toxic drugs and that meningitis might have been a secondary cause of death. It is difficult not to question whether the health care professionals were too caught up in amazement with their first encounter of a transgender patient to such an extent that they compromised a patient’s well-being.

Firstly, it seems as though the hospital staff publicised the case as it made headlines on Tanzanian newspapers. Secondly, how were these pictures taken in hospital without inside assistance? It is tempting to conclude that the negligence in a form of medical attention being deviated by curiosity of a transgendered body costed Aunt Victoria her life.

In a life-threatening state, Aunt Victoria was allegedly tossed and turned in a hospital bed for the sake of capturing her pictures. According to Daily News, the hospital preserved her body for the ‘final legal opinion of her death’.

Post-mortem is likely to be a family request, however, the state can also do so without family request. On her death, still Aunt Victoria’s body will be objectified through post-mortem, Certainly by the state, given the fact that it is alleged that no-one has claimed her body, for what reason though?

Aunt Victoria is said to have undergone a sex reassignment some nine years ago in one of the Asian countries. Apparently she had a lover, whom she generously showered with expensive gifts. Their separation is said to have triggered the suicide. Aunt Victoria was soon to launch a casino at the month end May.