Vox Pop on The Death Sentence of Tabara Samba
Friday 5th October 2007

It’s very sorrowful and hard to see a fellow human being killed and at the same time sympathetic to hear /see some one being sentenced to death especially a parent.  How do that person’s younger ones cope in the society? Killing deliberately is very sinful and heartlessness, but in another case one can be responsible for it whilst the individual is not heartless, but due to some circumstances that he/she finds himself/herself and unable to cope with it. But this does not warrant anybody to commit such heinous crime. Well SHE SHE anchor woman was out and about town sampling the views and comments of some people about the recent death sentence imposed on Tabara Samba for murdering her husband Ebrima Nyan. Please read on, below are their comments.

Dr. Isatou Touray —- a gender activist: when I heard about this, my first reaction was to follow the trends with the newspapers, I think it is one of the fastest cases that went to the court without delay and I’ve seen a lot of reactions coming from people. I am not sure whether she has had a fair hearing, am not also sure whether her circumstances within marital relationship were taken into consideration. It takes a very strained relationship between spouses to warrant such action on one of them; however I’ve seen from a gender perspective this example has been a very celebrated one among men to legitimize such situations. I am not condoning death for anybody but the way the procedure and proceedings of the case went should be a lesson for every woman. I’ve seen some biases, where the case has been made into a verbal cartoon to bring out the gender dimension of the case. If we look at what happens to women in their marital relationship: they suffer from domestic violence on daily basis. For example women are battered, they lose an eye or tooth, broken arms, disabled, and sometimes resulting to death. These crimes committed by husbands are referred to as private matters, and sometimes do not reach the doorsteps of the courts. Violence in the home between spouses is happening every minute and when reported to the police it is also seen as a private matter too. But where a woman is ready to pursue her case, the process is not facilitated, and it therefore dies a natural death. From what I have read in the newspapers the statement given by the magistrate before or after the judgment, was gender biased I feel he was empathizing as a man. I feel the statement should invalidate the judgment. There are so many cases lingering that need to be addressed like this one has been done rapidly regarding domestic violence. I look forward to a Gambia where justice prevails for women.

Haddy Saidy, Gamcotrap: I prefer Tabara a life imprisonment than to kill her since she cannot escape the punishment. I really felt it for her because being a mother and sentenced to death. It’s very sorrowful for her. I only pray that this kind of episode don’t happen anymore.

Jainaba Jallow, housewife: When I heard about this case I was shocked as a woman and a mother. Yes what Tabara did is very bad because life is very important, she should not have killed her husband whatever her circumstance was. She should have done something else like even quit the marriage if the situation was bad to her, but nonetheless as far as she can’t escape the punishment, I prefer a life imprisonment than death sentence.

Amie Sillah politician, and a gender activist: It’s very unfortunate but you know this is a crime and if you commit a crime you have to face the consequence, but as an individual I don’t belief in the death sentence. I  am against it because killing Tabara will not bring the dead person back, and society will lose an individual; but if she is given life imprisonment she will work for the society. Again as an activist I hate violence it should not come from the woman or the man as partners there should be dialogue, and should teach our children love, tolerance, respect and sharing, because violence in homes destroy children. Again because our society is male dominated when women are killed by their husbands society is silent, sometimes these cases are seen as accidents, they do not even come up but that is wrong, As activists what we are saying is that violence should be condemned all over, being from the man /woman and should be eradicated. We have to speak out; if not we may have other Tabaras. The other thing is that the government, social welfare, and also other women's organizations should have a marriage counseling unit so that before the young people get married they can have lectures in order to know why they are marrying, and what we should expect in marriage; and religious leaders can also preach about it, because marriage is give and take, partnership. Marriage is very important because it is only in marriage that children can be secure. It’s unfortunately Ebrima Nyan that lost his life like this, but as I said earlier, let’s speak out as culture of silence will destroy our country. 

Ida Jaiteh Cashier: She should not have killed her husband in the first place, because no matter what the husband may have done to her she should choose other alternatives than to kill him. Tabara being sentenced to death, I feel it as a woman but also I think it can be an example to others, because if she is free others may follow her footstep be it a man or woman.

Amie Bojang, Gender activist: Life is important but what led to the situation is usually not given due consideration, So I don’t think this should be seen as woman killing a husband but a case of violence occurred, and it is true that justice should be done but what the magistrate said in the conclusion of his ruling I quote, ‘the accused had been depicted as mean, unloving and unpitying”. He also said that the accused was every man’s nightmare and a disgrace to her counterparts and culture. This to me was bias from a legal person, because the judgment should be based only on the evidence. Secondly if they are treating the case as domestic violence as a husband and wife, I think this is a case for reference in dealing with domestic violence especially the cases involving women who suffer even though they don’t die. They should not push it to the mashala syndrome but should be treated with justice even though no body dies.

Fanta Sanyang, house wife: To me what she did is very bad because the man is her husband so they are partners, and in marriage, problems are bound to happen, but in that case it can be solved amicably rather than hurting each other or if at all she was unable to cope with the situation she should have called it quits. But killing is not the solution, may be she didn’t intend to kill but only to hurt him. I really feel very bad as a woman, seeing my fellow woman being sentenced to death. I pray this be the last of its kind.