. . . as CCC forces Masvingo Urban Ward 4 candidate Muchuchuti to withdraw
TellZim Reporter
MASVINGO – Women Academy for Leadership (WALPE) has condemned with strongest possible terms the abuse of women by political parties ahead of the by-elections slated for March 26, 2022.
The condemnation comes at a time when the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national executive is forcing Masvingo Urban Ward 4 female candidate Thokozile Muchuchuti to withdraw her candidature to pave way for Aleck Tabe.
Muchuchuti successfully filed her papers when the nomination court sat on January 26, but the national executive later approved Tabe to also file his papers for the same ward resulting in CCC fielding double candidates.
Now in attempting to solve the impasse, CCC national executive has seen the female candidate as the weaker point and they were allegedly threatening Muchuchuti that the party will take stern measures against her if she does not withdraw her candidature.
WALPE condemned such behaviour and urged political parties to respect women and promote gender equality.
“We note with concern the heavy handedness of some political party officials on women candidates that want to participate in the coming by-elections. There are disturbing reports of women being harassed verbally and emotionally blackmailed within their political parties to threaten and discourage them from fully participating in leadership process. This must stop,” said WALPE in a statement.
“We call on all political parties to respect the tenets of Sections 17, 56 and 80 of the constitution of Zimbabwe and uphold provisions for gender equality. Political parties must name and shame those culprits and bring them to book,” the statement continues.
CCC national leadership led by secretary general Charlton Hwende came to Masvingo over the weekend and tried to force Muchuchuti to withdraw her candidature so that a male candidate Tabe can contest.
Hwende was accompanied by party secretary for local government Jacob Mafume, secretary for rural mobilisation and strategy Happymore ‘Bvondo’ Chidziva, local leadership including provincial chairperson Misheck Marava and provincial secretary for elections Godfrey Madzikanda among others.
The national leadership however failed to convince her to withdraw after Muchuchuti insisted that she wanted to consult party members in the ward first before she signs withdrawal papers.
This is not the first time Muchuchuti was victimised by the opposition party as she was shoved off after defeating Godfrey Kurauone during party primaries in 2018. Kurauone later connived with the national executive which later declared that the ward was a preserve for the youths, which was how Kurauone ended up contesting and winning Ward 4 in 2018 general elections.
