Of Irony and Male Domination: the tale of Grace and Mujuru.

As much female politician have their male counterparts to blame for the treatment they receive in the political arena, they also have themselves to blame. Late last year First lady Doctor Grace Mugabe went to the infamous meet the people tour where she teared Joice Mujuru to shreds. Former Vice President Joice Mujuru lost her dignity in the eyes of many Zimbabweans. Those that are left supporting her are die hard Mujuru supporters. Not only did Grace tear down a fellow woman, she advocated for a man to take Mujuru's position as Vice President. Grace's wish was granted, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko were sworn in as Vice Presidents in December 2014. 

Grace deliberately participated in the reversal of progress in Zimbabwe. The coming in of Joice Mujuru as then Vice President, had symbolized empowerment of Zimbabwean women. A woman was finally swimming with the big fishes and there was actually a possibility that Zimbabwe would have a female president. These hopes were dashed however when Grace totally disgraced Mujuru in front of the nation. and to add insult to injury, Grace endorsed a man. The big three of the country are now men. This means only one thing, politics is slowly being dominated by men again. All the progress that women had made has been dashed. All thanks to one of the most influential women Zimbabwe has ever seen.  

OF FALLEN HEROES AND VISIONARIES: a tale of female politicians

Today I am not focusing on the dynamics of Female politicians versus Male politicians. Rather, I want to salute the female politicians, both dead and alive, for the work that they did and are doing respectively. This is something that came to me because of the recent celebrations of International Women's day. To begin with, closer to home I want to give honor to a woman I respect so much, the late Sally Mugabe.Sally Mugabe was elected Deputy Secretary for the women's league for the ZANU PF party in 1978. Shewas also elected Secretary General of the ZANU PF women's league at the party congress of 1989. Sally Mugabe founded the Zimbabwean Child  Survival Movement, which was meant to focus on helping struggling children in Zimbabwe. Sally Mugabe also launched the Zimbabwean Women's cooperative in the UK in 1986 and supported AKINA MAMA WA AFRIKA, a London based African women's organization focusing on development and women's issues in Africa and the United Kingdom. Despite being the wife of  President, Sally was able to have a political career that was independent of her husband's influences, a career that assisted many and changed many people's lives for the better. May her soul forever more rest in peace. Another amazing politician is Michelle Obama. Though she is the current first Lady of America she is one hundred percent African and hence she is an African Female politcian. Michelle Obama advocates for education for all but especially for women and among many great deed she had done are her lets move campaign, for fighting child hood obesity, and Joining forces, for mobilising support for service members and their families. She is a good example of independent Female politicians taking an initiative to change the world one foot print at a time.

INFLUENTIAL POLITICAL POWER COUPLES

Back to my usual commentary of the unfair and volatile relationship that exists between female politicians and their male counterparts, I want to comment on a phenomenon that I came across recently. I thought that the issue of power couples was something for celebrities. Even in politics there are these so called power couples. In reading this article about Zimbabwe power couples however a pattern emerged. according to some of these articles, either the women would not have made it in politics had it been not for their husbands or they are ticking time bombs. 

first on my list is President Robert Mugabe and Doctor Grace Mugabe.They are Zimbabwe's first family and a really influential couple. However whenever there is talk of these two, Grace receives the most backlash and bad publicity.  There was an article by the Financial Gazette on 29 January 2015. the article described Grace's coming into politics as a devastating tornado and that she is responsible for one of the most memorable episodes in Zimbabwean political history. Memorable in this context is not used in a nice way. What the article fails to mention is the fact that she has empowered many women in Zimbabwe or that her Husband and his ministers have brought Zimbabwe to its knees all on their own. She receives the backlash because she is woman trying to enter a world that is mostly male dominated. 

Next on my list is Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Auxilia Mnangagwa.The same article is written in such a way presents Auxilia as dependent on her husband for her political success. the article goes to say that before Emmerson became the vice president,.Auxilia was virtually unknown. Soon after he became vice president, things began to happen for her, so the article says. However this is not true, she was a politician before he became the vice president, however focus is not on her own abilities as a female politician.  Focus is on the fact that she is married to a vice President who allowed her to become a shining star in the political arena because he can.

Last on my list today is the Standard Newspaper's favourite couple, Doctor Joice Mujuru and the late Solomon Mujuru. The Standard Newspaper carried an article on 12 April 2014 about Mujuru apologizing for helping Mugabe ruin Zimbabwe. There was mention of her being widow to Solomon Mujuru, which was irrelevant to the story. With Joice Mujuru, the media has made it a point to remind readers, each time they can, that her power rests in her late husband without him she would not have come as far as she has. This is however not true.

OF HEROINS AND FIGHTERS: a tale of female politicians

Still diverting from my usual commentary on the relationship between female and male politicians, I would like to comment on the achievements of female politicians. this comes in light of the celebrations of the international women's day and I thought I could throw in more examples of the great women in the world of politics. to begin with is Auxilia Mnangagwa.She is a very persistent woman, a quality that worked well in her favor considering that she was trading on treacherous ground. her political path has been marred by obstacle after obstacle, but she did not quit. instead she soldiered on. her hard work and perseverance paid come 2015 March 27 when she won the parliamentary elections to represent Chirumanzi-Zibagwe Constituency.  Auxilia has been very instrumental  in several philanthropic projects. she joins the pool of several female politicians world wide who help those that are less fortunate in their bid to make the world a better place. 

Auxilia established women banks in the constituency that she is representing, a bid to make life for rural women a little better so they will not have to depend on the spouses all the time. This is in line with economic development, you develop a woman you develop a nation. not only that, she is instrumental in economic issues, advocating for the relaxation of certain laws so that Zimbabwe attract direct foreign investment.

Another female politician that I feel deserves for all her work and should be celebrated this woman's month is Sekai Holland who was the co minister of state for National healing, integration and reconciliation during the government of national unit in Zimbabwe. Among the things that she is known for, is her pivotal role in Zimbabwe's struggle with racism and instability. She has had her own fair share of violent attacks against her, especially during Zimbabwe's dark time in 2008. she along with fellow MDC delegates were attacked in 2008. The people who attacked her were allowed to walk free, but that did not stop her. Instead it just gave her more Zeal to go on.
Today, I chose these two women because of their tireless work to make the lives of other Zimbabweans better. they are a testament that female politicians are at the same level, even a above, as their male counterparts.

Of husbands and wives: the tale of Grace and Robert mugabe

When Grace Mugabe came into the political atmosphere of Zimbabwe, so many things were said and written about her, all in a bid to undermine her political career. the former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda called her rise to power a Bedroom Coup. his argument was that Grace Mugabe came into power because her husband, the president, made it possible for her to do so. His allegations were written in both the private and the public media with newspapers like the Herald of 16 December 2014 and the News day of 03 December 2014 running the story. there was even a special of ZTV and it was even shown on the news, the speech about the alleged bedroom coup.

 these things were seen by a lot of Zimbabweans who were pretty much convinced that Grace's power was coming from her husband and that she was an extension of his political shadow instead of standing on her on two feet. why then would people like Jabulani make such claims, one might ask? the answer at the top of my head would be that Grace is a woman and that the political atmosphere in Zimbabwe is one that do not offer hospitality to female politicians. having said that, male politicians would go an extra mile to blast and undermine female politicians in the minds of the public and hence trivialize any contribution that women like Grace might bring to the table.

Even when it is clear that Grace is the one who is running the show in Zanu Pf and subsequently running Zimbabwe, male politicians take it upon themselves to denounce women like her. the gulf today  carried out a story in which the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe denies that his wife, Grace Mugabe is running the show. why would a proud husband vehemently deny to the media and thus the nation that he has a powerful and influencial wife who is taking over from him because the sun is about to set on his own time? if Mugabe himself goes out of his way to undermine and downplay the potential his wife has it terms of being a political leader then why should anyone respect her?

If the man in Grace's life goes out of his way to trivialize her power, then it means even the president of Zimbabwe is not 'cool' with female politicians and their power and hence will do everything in his power to assure Zimbabweans that men are still and shall always be in power, women won't. even though Zimbabwe is in dire need of a woman's hand taking into consideration how male politicians have made sire that Zimbabwe come to its knees, economically, politically and socially, thirty five years after independence.                                        

Of Vampires and Humans: the relationship between Female poticians and the media

Today I want to explore the relationship between female politicians and how this has relationship has influenced the treatment of female politicians. what I noticed is that, the media focuses much on their social lives and not their political lives, undermining them and hence giving their male counterparts and the Zimbabwean public in general the platform to also undermine them. tTo  begin with, I am going to talk about Oppa Muchinguri now known as Amai Kashiri. I could let the above picture stand on its own, as it is loaded with messages that have the power to undermine Oppa as a politician. but I am going to write anyway. that picture is from Zim eye ,they wrote extensively on her new marriage, more than they have on any of her political achievements. from the picture and the article, it is clear that this particular newspaper and the media in general treat her as a woman of lose morals and this act deliberately undermines her in the eyes of the greater majority, if the comments on the page are to be considered. this then means that when she stands in front of people to speak, people do not see her as the influencial politician that she is, but as a bad influence upon their daughters.

But no one judges the men that she supposedly has been intimate with. some of those men are still hailed as heroes and some are respected and feared and their political careers are not undermined in any way. talk about double standards. from my point of view, what ever she does behind closed doors in nobody's business. she is a grown woman and can take care of herself. what the media has to focus on is her capability as a politician.  One of the most Influential 'private' radio stations in Zimbabwe, Nehanda Radio carried out a story that said Grace Mugabe, President Robert Mugabe and Oppa Muchinguri were in a love triangle. the story is a perfect example of tabloidazation at its best. the two people who were probably most hurt by the above claims were Grace and Oppa. the story does no justice to their influence and power in Zimbabwe, it is only interested in tearing down two most respected politicians in Zimbabwe. what this story, like the above does, is to undermine female politicians.

Because so much time is taken by the media on their lives and little on their political careers, they become reduced to nothing but glorified drama queens. no one will begin to take them seriously and their political careers suffer.

,  A national newspaper like Herald joins many newspapers in focusing on Oppa's marriage only. her being a married woman is not all there is to Oppa Muchinguri, her husband does not define her. she defines herself.

 In a bit to undermine Grace's entrance into politics the News Day carried a story that made Grace Mugabe look like a home wrecker. the story claimed that grace had had an day affair with the president when the late Sally Mugabe was still alive. the question that I then ask is, why mention that when Grace has made her debut into politics? why not when Robert Mugabe contested for re election after re election? isn't he the guy she had the affair with , so to speak?

The media only attacked Grace because she a woman trying to tread on the ground that is mainly for men, and by bringing her down and rallying the public behind them in their quest, male politicians are given the life line that allows them to continue dominating the political sphere. not only that, they are given the power to continuously stifle Female politicians.

violence then, violence now

I was looking at the history of women and politics in  Zimbabwe during and after independence and I discovered something, the terrain has been marred by violence. Late last year, between November and early December,   several papers including the Standard newspaper, Southern eye and Newsday carried out stories of how female fighters were sexually abused by their male counterparts.

The examples that were mentioned were Joice Mujuru and Oppah Muchinguri, Just to mention but a few. the papers reported that these women had no choice but to do what these men wanted because the men were in power. these women had agreed that these issues were to be picked up after the war, but that never happened because post independent Zimbabwe was run by men who were more interested in competing with other nations and seeking recognition than serving its people. so, things like these were brushed under the carpet so to speak.

I was particulary interested in the above because it serves to show how women were treated even before Zimbabwe got its independence. back then like now, women politicians were not listened to, and they were under the iron hand of their male counterparts. issues like these ones need to be revisited and revised.

Another example of abuse is violence itself. newsday of 19 September 2014 carried out a story of violence against female politicians in Zimbabwe citing the example of Rorina Muchewa (MDC) who was attacked at her home while she was bathing. what message is this sending to other aspiring female politicians out there?

In my view and opinion, female politicians should be given the same respect and treated in the same way as their male counterparts and for that to happen the male politicians have to admit that the way women in politics are being treated at the moment is a big issue that need to be revisited.