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Tendai Rupapa in RUWANGWE
DRIVEN by a passion to improve the welfare of the country’s citizenry, unite families and promote traditional foods, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa spent the greater part of this week in Manicaland Province interacting with the elderly, ladies of the night and teen mothers.
Yesterday, Amai Mnangagwa was in Ruwangwe, Nyanga North, where she met with the elderly and described them as a fortress of wisdom who needed to be taken care of at all costs.
She fulfilled her promise to interact with the Ruwangwe community and to deliver foodstuffs, blankets and toiletries to them after an earlier consignment was destroyed in an accident last month.
There was also time to dance as the mother of the nation joined the elderly in dancing to the legendary Leonard Dembo’s smash hit “Vakakurera Vakuru” which implores children to look after their parents at all times.
“Ndakakurera ukakura, ko nhasi uno uchandipeiko. Cheuka shure kwawakabva, vakakurera vakuru,” sang along the elderly.
Addressing the gathering, the First Lady said; “Grandmothers and grandfathers, you are the ones we have come for here. Last month I failed to come because of an accident, but I am here today.
“We all agree that every one of us has his or her birthday, meaning that the elderly are our fortress of wisdom who teach those who were born after them. These elders need to be looked after. They did a lot while taking care of us. Today, we ask whether we are also looking after them. Most people forget where they came from, but this does not bring blessings.
“You youngsters who are getting married, are you following our laws? Did you pass through the Gota and Nhanga? Nowadays, children are getting married at tender ages, impregnating one another at younger ages, taking drugs and alcohol.
“As the elderly, are you still playing your roles of counselling children and are parents sending their children to grandparents for counselling? Some children during the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba sessions said parents barred them from visiting their grandparents. Why are we doing this? I am saying let us show one another love, let us spread love, let us unite as families and stay in peace and love. As elderly persons, do you still have time to train the young children?”
The questions elicited mixed responses, with one elderly man remarking: “Children of nowadays have been ruined by drugs and ‘full of I know’. If we try to teach them, we are dismissed as ignorant and backward. They do not know where they came from and this is pitiful.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by an elderly woman, Gogo Elizabeth Mandipaza, who seemed to blame most challenges on urbanisation.
“If you ask most grandmothers here where their children are, you learn that most of them are in towns and do not come back to look after their parents and learn the traditional way of life,” she said.
“Thank you Amai for coming to teach our children to look after their parents. Also Amai, some daughters-in-law do not allow our grandchildren to visit us, branding us witches.”
The First Lady took time to remind the young to look after the elderly and remember their roots. She also urged young couples to live in harmony and shun domestic violence.
She asked the elderly how they dated during their time and what they admired in one another.
In response, an elderly woman said they fell in love and dated in a respectful manner.
“Me and my husband never dated in the bushes and we never ran away from school as is being done by the children of today. We followed the path of visiting our aunties and uncles, but our daughters-in-law now brand the uncles and aunties witches and are playing match-make for their own children,” she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by yet another discussant who said their gifts were often thrown away in dustbins.
“When we give our grandchildren parcels like dried vegetables and peanut butter, they reach Harare and throw the food in dustbins because they do not want indigenous dishes.
“Some say they do not eat food from witches. Is getting old now a crime because once you grow up you are accused of being a witch. The children countrywide are now also very mischievous. If possible, the traditional chiefs must inquire from spirit mediums why this is so?” she said, triggering laughter from the floor.
In response, the First Lady concurred with her and urged churches to also pray for today’s youths and the nation.
An elderly man, Sekuru John Nyandima said he followed tradition when he got married, but blamed equal rights for most marital challenges.
“When I married my wife we were deeply in love and we followed the tradition,” he said.
“But the coming of equal rights has brought challenges of unimaginable proportions as we are being ruled by women in the homes and you can’t even lift your head as the head of the family.
“If you counsel children, they threaten to get you arrested and the issue of rights is giving us headaches.”
This dovetailed with the views of another elderly man who said the law was making it difficult for men to discipline their wives and children.
“Once you beat her she runs to report domestic violence so we suffer within as women do as they please in the homes,” he said.
The First Lady educated the gathering on gender-based violence (GBV) and its attendant challenges.
“Women must not be beaten up and you get arrested once you do so. Also women, you must not beat up your husbands. A wife is a helper, so resolve your differences amicably without violence.
“Women, please appreciate that men are the heads of the households, therefore, accord them the necessary respect. Let us live in peace and increase love in the homes,” she said.
As the health ambassador, the First Lady implored people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and take booster shots to prevent the deadly virus.
A young woman who said she was recently married, said some of their actions as daughters-in-law towards their mothers-in-law were caused by relations in the homes.
“Amai, if you see us doing some actions like ignoring these mothers-in-law, it’s because of the way they treat us in their homes,” she said. “At times I will be at the rural home as my husband will be working in town. If my husband sends groceries some mothers-in-law say the goods have been sent by her son and start giving me a share.
“If the husband sends 6kg sugar, she demands 4kg. She wants the larger portion of the grocery yet it would have been sent to me by my husband.
“However, Amai, some daughters-in-law are naturally stingy and I implore everyone to observe peace in the communities in which we live and in our homes. As mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law we should live in harmony.”
Amai Mnangagwa said she was on a mission to rebuild homes and implored those who had grievances to resolve them amicably.
She encouraged neighbours to get along and the young to always remember their roots.
She spoke strongly against child marriages, drug abuse and divorce rates. The First Lady gave food hampers, toiletries and blankets to the elderly and traditional chiefs.
Also, everyone who was present went home with something, including mealie-meal, courtesy of Amai Mnangagwa.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokuthula Matsikenyere thanked the mother of the nation for fulfilling her promise.
“We are happy that Amai fulfilled her promise after the previous mishap. We want to thank you Amai for showing love to the people of Manicaland. Amai, you are so helpful and not selective. You are a role model. You teach us a lot and we embrace your teachings,” she said.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter