Beverly Bizeki
The recalls of elected officials from parliament, senate and council by Citizens’ Coalition for Change’s (CCC) self-imposed Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu been described as a deliberate ploy that is crippling efforts to emancipate women’s participation in politics, analysts have said.
The recalling spree has not spared councilors, MPs and legislators from the women’s quota who were elected to increase women representation after political parties failed to implement the 50/50 gender representation.
CCC National Women’s Taskforce Coordinator Monica Mukwada who was proportional representative (PR) Member of Parliament for Manicaland and is among Tshabangu’s victims said the recalls were negatively affecting women in that it did not only humiliate the recalled women but also reduced the voices of women in decision making processes.
“The voice of women in decision making processes has been reduced since a sizeable number of female councilors and MPs have been reduced in all houses since those that were recalled have not been replaced.
“The other challenge is that the electorate had chosen representatives of their choice during the harmonized August 23, elections now that they have been recalled, if replaced, they will be represented by people who are total enemies of their struggle, they will not be the reflection of the will of the people.
“The other problem that comes with these recalls is the humiliation that the councilors and MPs face. Just imagine how these women feel when the world is falsely informed that they have ceased to be CCC members which is the people’s party, they face the highest level of humiliation and others might even face challenges in facing their communities and the world at large.
“These recalls have also brought lack of confidence for women who will aspire to take up leadership positions in the future as they watch their predecessors face political humiliation. Many will decide to step back to save their dignity. We look upon those who control the judiciary system to correct the anomaly that has been created by these illegal recalls,” said Mukwada.
Mukwada also bemoaned the recalls saying it targeted female Mayors around the country that had been seconded by the party thereby denying female councilors a chance to lead from top positions.
“As CCC we were still celebrating after the party seconded three females to fill in the position of mayors in Mutare, Masvingo and Epworth Town Board. Unfortunately the enemy of the citizens successfully recalled councilors Sofia Rudo Gwasira, Shantiel Chiwara and Annah Sande respectively, several deputy mayors as well as councilors. We are back to the situation whereby Zimbabwe does not have a single female mayor which is a very sad situation,” said Mukwada.
Former Masvingo mayor and ward 2 councilor Chiwara said her recall was more than a ward battle but a national one which was killing the spirits of women and youth leaders that were participating in politics.
“The recalls by Tshabangu are killing the spirits of women leaders who have been recalled from their political positions, the act itself is undermining their capabilities but all the same I urge them not to be discouraged or to lose heart.
“This is not a ward battle, it is a national battle and a direct attack on our president’s efforts to groom youths and women in leadership positions,” said Chiwara.
One CCC member Dr Munyaradzi Chidarikire said the recalls of female politicians by Tshabangu meant that laws and budgets will be against women and the girl child as women’s voices were reduced, with no one to represent their interests.
“The recalls of female mayors, councilors, senators and members of parliament in Masvingo province and beyond by Tshabangu has greatly affected the voices of women in political spaces. This implies that laws and budgets among other things will be against women and the girl child,” said Chidarikire.
Chidarikire said what Tshabangu was doing reversed steps that were being taken to emancipate women.
“Zimbabwe has few female mayors and Masvingo City broke history by having the first female and youngest black mayor Shantiel Chiwara, there were celebrations as the former mayor made history. The recall of Masvingo MP Mugidho means she cannot contribute to the parliamentary agenda of 2023 – 2028 hence Masvingo has been made poorer by the recall of the two,” said Chidarikire.
Political commentator Dr Takavafira Zhou said some of the recalled women had been dealt a huge blow as some of them have failed to make it back due to voter apathy and limited campaigning resources.
“Tshabangu has systematically targeted CCC women deployees in Harare, Masvingo and Bulawayo in council, proportional representation. Those recalled in PR have been dealt a blow as this has reduced women representation in the legitimate CCC deployees and their replacements are not necessarily change champions. Some women deployees in council lost in by elections on December 9 owing to limited resources they had and voter apathy,” said Zhou.
In Masvingo, Chiwara lost to Zanu PF’s Benson Hwata thereby reducing the number of women in council to four from five.
In other circles, there has been notable clashes between PR councilors and councilors selected through the ballot with PR councilors’ role undermined in the wards.
