Men have failed the country

Chrispen Tabvura

Choice News Africa

Bulawayo – Zimbabwe’s outspoken Political Analyst and Human Rights activist Effie Ncube, revealed an analysis where he openly told Journalists that men have failed the country, due to misrule and incapacity in leadership.

 Addressing several Journalists from almost all Media Houses in Bulawayo and during Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) sponsored dialogue, Ncube also challenged women to stand up for their positions.

He also touched on the country’s shrinking political space for women, in both leadership and decision making criteria used by political parties in the country, on their way of appointing females in influential positions.

“We have a country with 70% women and the remaining being men, but still we have males in control, and yet they have dismally failed to develop the country.

Zimbabwe’s current political landscape is also failing to vote for women to be in top leadership, including presidency. It is the environment that we were brought up in, that has lack of respect for women.

We were brought up in an environment where women are supposed not to be in leadership circles, but mothering only and doing some household duties.” Said Ncube in his presentation.

His sentiments were echoed by former Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army survivor Grace Noko. She is one of the women who served in the liberation struggle and never get any promotion neither elevation after the struggle to date.

“I fought in the liberation struggle and I am surprised to hear that only men have received state of the art vehicles as compensation and yet I am here.

As I speak, there is only one woman from our struggle time, who was laid to rest at the National heroes Acre, ignoring a good number of war of liberation war fighters with grief and sadness. This discrimination has been happening even in the struggle for the liberation and is still taking place long after independence.

I strongly think that we need to work hard to influence and convince all women, so that they will realize their strength in leadership positions.

Sitabile Mlilo who is Citizen for Coalition Change National Women’s Taskforce Committee member, added her voice on the criteria used to appoint women in leadership positions.

“It is true that we still have a long way in climbing the political ladder, because men become vicious when it comes to influential positions.

The political journey has never been that rose for all women, only that we persevere to be where we are. The ground is not even judging from the selection process. We are always abused in social media platforms, labeled as prostitutes and women of loose moral values, just because of our sacrifice.

If you read stories published about our CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere and other women in politics, it really scares away the weak.” Added Mlilo.

Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe chapter, has been this month busy facilitating several workshops on political reporting, investigative journalism and dialogues empowering journalists on important issues to pursue.