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Tendai Mugabe and Susan Nyabunze Harare Bureau
Traditional chiefs across the country yesterday unanimously endorsed the recommendation by the Women’s League that First Lady, Cde Grace Mugabe be appointed Women’s League boss at the party’s elective congress in December.The endorsement was made at a colourful event held at the Amai Mugabe Children’s Home in Mazowe ahead of the start of the chiefs’ conference in Gweru today.
The gathering, which was also attended by spouses of the chiefs, followed a similar move by the Zanu-PF Youth League last month.
President of the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe, Chief Fortune Charumbira, set the ball rolling saying the First Lady was doing philanthropic work that deserved recognition.
Chief Charumbira said the First Lady brought a balance in the country’s power equation because their concerns would reach the President faster.
“We are here to support the recommendation that was made by others before,” he said.
“Our support is unanimous. Because of the good work that you are doing, you are worth rising to the level of secretary for Women’s League.
“It has never happened in the history of this country that one hands over such a senior position in the party to another so amicably.
“It rarely happens in politics for power transfer to happen as smoothly as it has done in the Women’s League. It only happens in traditional leadership. We are pleased at what you have done. You want to build the country.”
Chief Charumbira said this in apparent reference to the outgoing Women’s League secretary Cde Oppah Muchinguri who voluntarily chose to relinquish her post to the First Lady.
He said the First Lady’s entry into politics was an ordinary phenomenon the world over.
Chief Charumbira said even in America, President Barack Obama’s wife Michel supported her husband on national duties.
“In the US, President Obama’s wife, Michel supports her husband. At Prophet (Emmanuel) Makandiwa’s church; his wife is also a prophetess. She leads proceedings in Makandiwa’s absence. Women must not leave politics to their husbands. They must get involved,” he said.
Chief Charumbira said in South Africa President Jacob Zuma used to sit in cabinet with his wife, Nkosazana.
“What we are saying is this is good and it is everywhere,” he said.
Chief Charumbira said the support from the chiefs was honest and whole-hearted because they were not involved in factional or succession politics.
He said chiefs were fully behind President Mugabe adding that he should finish his five-year term of office.
“We hear about fights to succeed the President yet we voted for him last year,” said Chief Charumbira.
“Who has power to remove him only a year into his term? His term is for five years. Are five years now equivalent to one year? What kind of mathematics is that? We don’t support those scheming around the matter, they want to destabilise the country.”
In response, the First Lady thanked the support she received from the chiefs.
She also paid gratitude to Cde Muchinguri for willingly relinquishing her post.
“I want to thank you for your support but also I want to thank Cde Muchinguri because what she did is rare in life,” she said.
“It is like donating your kidney to someone.”
She said she never aspired to be a politician but she was requested by women who converged at her children’s home asking her to work with them.
“I had no interest in politics but some time ago some people came to me requesting me to work with them in the Women’s League. I asked them why but they insisted. Later a multitude of women came of their own volition appealing for me to work with them,” said the First Lady.
She told the women and the youths that she was ready to work with the women but it was up to the President to decide as the appointing authority if she was fit for the post.
She chronicled how she started the children’s home and how she built a school there.
The construction of the school gobbled $7 million, said the First Lady, while another huge chunk of money went towards the construction of 30 modern houses.
She said the philanthropic work that she was doing was not for her benefit but for the country.
“To be honest I will never go and learn in this school, neither will I stay in these houses,” she said.
“I am doing it for future generations and the rest of Zimbabwe.”
Plans were underway to build a hospital, a multi-purpose hall and the Robert Mugabe University in Mazowe.
She urged spouses of the chiefs to venture into business explaining that she started her dairy business on a small scale. The First Family owed banks almost $20 million to ensure the continuity of their businesses, she said.
Turning to societal issues, the First Lady bemoaned high levels of moral decadence which was resulting in baby dumping. So far she is looking after 78 children at her home.
“We started with 15 children,” she said.
“But I wonder what is happening in our children and the men who impregnate women and refuse to take responsibility. We now had 82 children since 2011 in that short period of time. It shows there is something wrong in society. Baby dumping was rare in Zimbabwe.”
She was proud that her children’s home was located in the sacred area of Mbuya Nehanda.
She took the opportunity to applaud President Mugabe’s principled leadership.
The First Family lost several friends after the land reform programme, said the First Lady but the President remained resolute.
President Mugabe was incorruptible and committed to working for his people, she said.
The chiefs had an opportunity to tour the First Lady’s children’s home, her school and the Gushungo Dairy Farm.
Meanwhile, the Zanu-PF Midlands provincial executive also endorsed the First Lady as the candidate for the position of national secretary for women affairs.
The province’s secretary for information and publicity, Cde Cornelius Mupereri dispelled talk that the provincial executive was divided over the matter.
Cde Mupereri welcomed President Mugabe to the Midlands province tomorrow where he is expected to officially open the Chiefs’ Conference in Gweru and congratulated him on his taking over the chairmanship of Sadc.
He said his province noted with appreciation the outcome of President Mugabe’s recent successful state visit to China.
Online Reporter