Staff Writer
ZANU PF BIGWIGS SEXUALLY TRANSMIT POWER
…AS MASVINGO BIG GUNS SELECT SMALL HOUSES INTO COUNCIL WOMEN’S QUOTA
MASVINGO CORRESPONDENT
In a shameless and embarrassing move, Zanu PF bigwigs in Masvingo province have proved wrong the former national war vets chair Jabulani Sibanda who once claimed that power is not sexually transmitted after they seconded their wives to take up the women quota seats in local authorities that were recently created in order to increase women participation in both politics and development.
Sibanda once claimed during the height of Zanu PF factional wars that power is never sexually transmitted when the former President Robert Mugabe seemed like he wanted his wife Grace to take over from him.
However, Mugabe must be turning in his grave now as investigations by TellZim revealed that some senior Zanu PF members in Masvingo province have influenced the appointment of their wives through the women quota system for local authorities.
Deputy Minister of finance and economic development Clemence Chiduwa who is the newly elected Zaka South MP and Zaka District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson respectively, has his wife, Fungai Maregedze appointed into Zaka RDC through the women quota slots.
Chiduwa was co-opted into the provincial executive in 2019 after his bid to contest for the then Zaka East constituency hit a brick wall after he failed to meet the selection criteria. He was then later co-opted into the provincial executive after lobbying and subsequently made it to Parliament through by-election following the death of Casper Gumbwanda.
It is alleged that Chiduwa used his powerful DCC position to influence the appointment of his wife to become councilor through the quota system.
Chief Nhema, born Rangarirayi Bwawanda, now senator and a staunch Zanu PF stalwart is also alleged to have influenced the selection of his wife Portia Gwese as a councilor at Zaka RDC through the women quota system. The bootlicking Chief Nhema, of course unthoughtfully and unreasonably, once promised President Emmerson Mnangagwa five million votes from Zaka alone during the run up to elections yet the whole district and country had about 800 000 and 6.6 million registered voters respectively.
In Chiredzi Town Council, one of the three elected councilors Sekai Njanjure is former Chiredzi Town council Chairperson and Zanu PF losing candidate for Chiredzi Central Francis Moyo’s sister in-law (Younger sister to his wife) whilst in Masvingo District, Masvingo West MP and former Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira’s wife also made it into Masvingo RDC through the women quota.
Investigations by TellZim revealed that nepotism and corruption allegations were some of the key reasons that saw Moyo being rejected by the electorate in Chiredzi Central Constituency because Zanu PF members who were more senior felt cheated and instigated ‘bhora musango’.
In Chivi District, a husband and wife will be in council chambers after Jacob Magando was elected in Ward 25 while his wife Fungai Chinjekure got in through women’s quota.
Many ordinary people who spoke to Zimhub condemned the level of nepotism saying Zanu PF has completely ruined a noble idea by government which was meant to empower and increase women participation in both politics and development of local communities as the opportunity is now being used by powerful politicians for self-aggrandizement.
Zanu PF provincial chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said there was nothing amiss about big wigs wives getting into council saying each one used his or her party card membership to get into positions.
“There is nothing wrong with that, all those women who won used their membership to get in positions. They simply applied or contested and if they qualify what is wrong with that. At national level we have the Mutsvangwas (Chris and Monica) who both hold bigger positions and are very active in in the party and government,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Analysts condemned nepotism saying it disadvantages women with potential who want to take up these leadership positions as those that are related to the powerful ones get first preference.
Political commentator Dr Wellington Gadzikwa said though there are no laws that prohibits couples from getting into positions of influence, morally it was not good and promotes corruption.
“There is no law that prohibits couples from occupying those positions, however, under normal circumstances it should not be allowed because it promotes corruption. There are a number of capable people even in Zanu PF who could occupy those positions even better. So it shows that it’s no longer about serving people but access to resources,” Dr Gadzikwa said.
In a move aimed at increasing women’s representation in local authorities, the government introduced the women’s quota system which has seen women elected into council through proportional representation.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) introduced women’s quota in local authorities as calculated figures representing 30percent of the total members of each local authority for the purpose of reserving them for women party-list councilors in accordance of the section 277 (4) of the constitution.
A total 73 women have since been elected into nine local authorities in Masvingo province. Bikita RDC has 10, Gutu RDC 12, Chivi RDC 10, Mwenezi RDC 5, Zaka RDC 10, Masvingo RDC 11, Masvingo City Council 3, Chiredzi RDC and Chiredzi Town Council have 10 and 2 respectively.
Out of the total 73, CCC has 21 and Zanu-PF got 52 slots.