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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Described by her supporters as energetic and determined, Cde Barbara Rwodzi, is the only female Zanu-PF cadre in the Midlands Province to emphatically dismiss the commonly held belief that ”politics is a gentlemen’s club”.
She defeated a male opponent and incumbent member of the National Assembly for Chirumanzu constituency, Cde Pedzisai Munanzwi, in the Zanu-PF party primary elections.
She even did it emphatically, garnering 5 621 votes against her closest contender Cde Munanzwi’s 1 021 votes during the party primary polls that were held in April.
Born and bred in Chirumanzu, the 43-year-old Cde Rwodzi is the newly found daughter of the Chirumanzu community after she embarked on a number of development projects in and around the constituency since the beginning of this year.
She is a heroine and an inspiration to many women in politics after she fought and penetrated the male dominated political field to become the only female candidate for a National Assembly seat for the revolutionary party in the Midlands province.
A businesswoman, with a number of retail shops at Fairfields on the Harare-Masvingo Highway in Chirumanzu, Cde Rwodzi’s political life started when she was young.
“My father was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and used to tell us about the liberation struggle and his experiences in the struggle,” she said.
She said her parents were working in Harare, but would always sent them to their rural home in Chirumanzu during school holidays and this was how she got strongly-attached to her rural constituency.
At the age of 19, Cde Rwodzi was then married to a family which had strong Zanu-PF links where her father-in-law, Cde Aaron Simbanegavi Rwodzi, was a Central Committee member of the ruling party.
“My husband’s parents are also from Chirumanzu,” said Cde Rwodzi.
“They had businesses at Fairfields and from the age of 19, I was camped at Fairfields in Chirumanzu with my in-laws and that was when I was initiated in the revolutionary party.
”I became passionate about politics and we would play active roles in Chirumanzu whenever there were party gatherings.
”We have been very active in the party politics since then.”
A holder of a Masters degree in Business Administration from Nottingham Trent University in England, Cde Rwodzi said she has now decided to work closely with the Chirumanzu community after she initiated a number of developmental projects.
“I have never lost touch with the Chirumanzu community having born and bred in the area,” she said.
“Since January, we have been doing a number of projects in all the 12 wards in Chirumanzu. I have managed to sink a borehole in each ward.
“I have come up with community gardens for women, we have also repaired school blocks and bridges. I believe in politics of action not those lies that other politicians promise people while canvassing for votes.”
Cde Rwodzi said she was confident of romping to victory in the July 30 harmonised elections and has since lined up more developmental projects in the area.
Online Reporter
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