Vice President Joice Mujuru yesterday joined hands with Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe to lead a cross party procession of women in belatedly commemorating International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day, is officially observed globally on March 8. But in Zimbabwe the commemotation was not possible as the nation was plunged into mourning the death of Susan Tsvangirai the Premiers wife who was tragically killed in a road Traffic accident on 6 March 2009.
The day before Susan’s burial in Buhera on 10 March 2009, Retired Army Commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe passed away and was declared a National hero and interred at the National heroes shrine in Harare.
Deputy Premier Thoko Khupe is currently Acting Premier while incumbent Morgan Tsvangirai is on compassionate leave in South Africa following the tragic death of his wife.
She has been officially appointed by the premier to coordinate national healing initiatives in the Premier’s office.
In the past Jenny Williams of Civic group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has resorted to staging impromptu marches to commemorate the International Day for Women in Zimbabwe which always ended with her and her colleagues being arrested for leading the commemorations.
But desperate moments call for desperate measures.
The two most senior women politicians in the country are presiding over a shaky coalition government that is saddled with residual pockets of resistance from past beneficiaries of Zanu PF’s politics of patronage and national plunder that has bankrupted the nation.
Of particular concern to the women leaders are sporadic eruptions of inter party violence.
The electoral successes of the MDC in the March 29 harmonised elections turned into a vicious political nightmare when defeated Zanu PF leader Robert Mugabe, in office as Head of State for the past 28 consecutive years refused to concede obvious outright defeat at the hands of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
He mobilised his Zanu PF Party militia and deployed it under National Army, Police, Prisons and Central Intelligence command to force an out of time and crooked runoff election on 27 June 2008.
The Electoral Act had to be unprocedurally amended by Patrick Chinamasa an immediate past Justice Minister in a government that had been dissolved to make way for the harmonised elections in which he participated and was defeated.
The Statutory instruments he issued when it became clear Mugabe was unwilling to hand over power after defeat increased the legislated limit in the Act allowing a maximum 21 days for staging a runoff presidential election from the date the initial election was held to an astounding 90 days.
The increased timespan was to give Zanu PF time to put together a vicious runoff election campaign which was unleashed and left more than 300 MDC supporters murdered while no less than 300 000 others were displaced.
Heinous crimes were committed by known Zanu PF activists under armed Military guard that left the country deeply politically polarised and at the verge of a civil strife implosion which was only averted by the withdrawal of Tsvangirai from the runoff and the signing of a Memorandum of Undestanding to form an inclusive government between Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara before Sadc.
The wounds and deprivations occasioned by known Zanu PF activists on MDC opponents are running deep and threatening the very existence of the coalition government set up on 13 February 2009 as the victims seek restitution from the known Zanu PF criminals.
Politically motivated impunity throughout the country over the period March 2000 to January 2009 reached every nook and cranny of the country. Victims are now demanding restitution from the coalition government whose capacity is severely handicapped by the size of the problem.
That is why VP Mujuru and Acting Premier Khupe were motivated to address the threat by rallying the nation into reconciliation.
They went so far as to exchange Party regalia to demonstrate that it is possible to forgive excesses committed during the dark period by political activists.
The procession began at Fourth Street bus terminus through the Harare central business district en route to the City Sports Centre.
Members of the judiciary, lawyers, the business community, academics, civic leaders, diplomats, soldiers, policewomen and churches joined the march at various points along the way.
At the City Sports Stadium venue of the commemoration activities where many in the procession had only a fortnight ago bade farewell to Susan Tsvangirai the most prominent women political leaders took turns to slam the politically motivated impunity culture that has gripped the country in the immediate past.
After observing a minute’s silence in memory of the late Susan Tsvangirai VP Mujuru waded into the divisive issue of politically motivated violence.
"I particularly call upon the leadership of all political parties in Zimbabwe to direct their supporters to immediately stop the violence that continues to retard progress in cementing and consolidating the efforts of our inclusive Government.
"Violence of whatever form should never be tolerated. It is wrong, unacceptable, inexcusable and it must stop. The truth is that collectively we can stop the violence," she said.
She could not hide her displeasure at the eruption of sporadic incidents of violence throughout the country despite the country being at peace and its people being reputed peace lovers.
"This has provided our enemies with ammunition for negative publicity. The new political dispensation will no doubt contribute positively towards reduction of politically motivated violence," she said.
"It is wrong for violence to be perpetrated against women and it is worse for the same to be perpetrated against children.
"Let us all work together, women and men, to ensure that we protect girls in the manner that we would protect our own biological children. We cannot afford to destroy our future.
"SaAmai ndinoda kupedza ndichiti ngatichishandira pamwe, takasungana samadzimai navasikana. Ngatitsiureyi vana vedu nyaya yemhirizhonga ichipera muZimbabwe. Tose tikapa chisungo ichi, Mwari vachatibatsira tikakunda," (As a mother I wish to conclude by appealing to all of you to work together, with the unity of purpose of motherhood and girls. Let us chide our children to desist from violence in Zimbabwe. If we all commit ourselves to this noble objective, God will help us to succeed), she concluded.
Acting Premier Thoko Khupe echoed the VP’s call for unity of purpose and immediate end to violence and political impunity in the country.
"A future without violence brings economic prosperity, improved education and health services, but with violence all these cannot be developed," she said.
"We must not fight amongst each other so that we build the nation together. Violence is abnormal, whether it is in the family, community or countrywide. Zvakwana, sokwanele, hatidi kurwisana. (We have seen enough of this violence.) Violence, violence, violence must stop," she said.
She implored Security forces to protect the people and attend to cases reported to them timeously and impartially.
"The country’s political leadership signed the Global Political Agreement and we are bound by the letter and spirit of the agreement.
"Let us develop a culture of respect and build bridges to find ways to work together, find social ways to settle disputes and share efforts to create a violence-free Zimbabwe," she said.
Unlike their male counterparts who are obsessed with the sanctions mantra, the women appear to be more informed about what needs to be done to move the country forward at this juncture.
Among the notable women leaders at the commemorations were Mrs Jacqueline Mutambara, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s wife, who shared the podium to address the women clad in various political party regalia.
Also present were Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Minister Dr Olivia Muchena, her deputy Evelyn Masaiti, Ministers of State in the Premier and President’s Office responsible for national healing Sekai Holland and Flora Bhuka, Public Works Minister Theresa Makone and Deputy Ministers Tracy Mutinhiri (Labour and Social Welfare) and Jessie Majome (Justice and Legal Affairs).
If only the male politicians would focus their ernegies on real issues afflicting the populace like the women are the targeted sanctions they seem to think are to blame for the country’s economic ruin in the country will be automatically lifted.
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