Support each other, women urged

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
The Zanu-PF Women’s League should co-opt technocrats into its ranks to enhance women’s participation in decision-making positions, the First Lady, Amai Mugabe, has said.

Amai Mugabe — the party’s Secretary for Women’s League — said she was concerned at the low number of female legislators in Parliament.

She was speaking at a meeting of the Women’s League executive council at the Zanu-PF Headquarters on Wednesday.

Amai Mugabe said women were their worst enemies for failing to embrace educated colleagues to join their rank and file despite the immense contributions they could make.

“Due to our numerical superiority, that is 52 percent of the population, women have the capacity to make the quota system a reality. Madzimai dzimwe nguva we are our own worst enemy. Nekuti kana zvanzi mudzimai candidate uyo, kana pamaprimaries paya hatidi kusupporter mumwe mudzimai. Tinosva tasupporter munhu wemurume. Saka ikozvino muchiona kuParliament uko, moyo wangu unorwadza kuti out of 210 seats we have 15 women MPs chete. It is cause for concern,” said Amai Mugabe.

“Another thing we agreed as the top 10 leadership is that let us not shun those that are educated in our midst because they will assist us, they understand our needs. Ruzivo rwedu rwuri pakasiyana. Ivo nekuwanawo kwavakaita fundo, malawyer, madoctor, we can work with them,” she said.

Amai Mugabe said there was a tendency by women to shun and resist educated colleagues.

“But isu tisu tinovadzinga nemaitiro edu tichivaratidza kuti hatidi kushanda nemi nekuti mune ruzivo rwakapfuura rwedu. Hatidi kuti tive nepfungwa yakadaro. Asi ini handizvinzwisise, nekuti isusu madzimai tisu tinomiramira kuti vana vaende kuchikoro,” she said.

“Handina kumbowona munhu akadzidza anovhaira. Saka tinoda kuti tisapotane (supporting) tiende kune matechnocrats panze apo tivaudze kuti kuZanu-PF tinokudayi. Kana dai makambofunga kuti hamudiwe kuZanu-PF, tinofanira kuenda tinovataurira kuti kwete zvamakanzwa handizvo, tirikukudayi, kuitira kuti zvavakuzonzi maMP tiwanewo vakafunda vanonzwisisa maproceedings kuParliament, vanokwanisa kuzoitwa maministers, nekuti ukapiwa maministries usina chikoro handifungi kuti pane chino- buda.”

Amai Mugabe said the league’s top 10 executive had convened with women candidates for the revolutionary party in the forthcoming June 10 by-election to give them moral support.

“In this regard, may I therefore make a passionate appeal to those of you from constituencies where there are pending by-elections to mobilise support for Zanu-PF candidates and turn out in large numbers on voting day. Where we have female candidates, please vote for them,” she said.