Grace Mutandwa

Give me more madam politicians

Zimbabwe’s national television rarely if ever provides any useful information, but once in a while it is a source of comic relief. Election time in Zimbabwe is madness time.

All sorts of politicians crawl out of the woodwork. Promises are made that will never see the light of day.

Over the past few weeks I have been monitoring some of the weird campaign dances, messages and insipid advertisements on national television. Every election time politicians treat us voters like children, make false promises and sure, I am used to that now, but what I find maddening is that someone thinks I should vote for them just because they happen to be there.

The women’s organisations, which I believe have their hearts in the right place, have been running advertisements urging us voters to: “Vote for me, I am your sister or I am your mother.” Why stop there why not say “Vote for me I have one leg?” To say vote for me because I am a woman is irrational nonsense. It is simply not good enough!

People seeking political leadership should stop taking voters for granted. Show me a woman with credible qualities and I will vote for her. Give me a rational argument. Tell me how you are going to ensure that my children get the education they deserve.

For at least three days every week I wake up at midnight to fill up containers with water because there is never water during the day. Most of the time I do this by candlelight because power has become something that I can only imagine. We have water when we are supposed to be asleep and electricity comes back for a few hours when we are at work.

I would like to have a flushing toilet again and not be relegated to the bucket or bush system. We have all learnt defensive driving just by weaving in and out of the road to avoid craters the size of canoes.

I would like to see women in power but I am not going to vote them in on the basis of gender – I need more, I deserve more. Anyone who wants my vote has to realise that my vote is not for free. For me it is a ticket to a better life. Voters want change they can trust and believe in.

It is no good just empowering a specific group of people. Development does not come through empowering women, it comes from empowering society inclusively. For so long societies have suffered from selective development.

We should have policies that will help develop the community and society around us. Without development for all there is no justice for all. Political power has to be more meaningful and not just a ladder onto the gravy train.

While quota systems are a stop gap measure that may or may not work, there is no question that the main issue is education for all, equal opportunities and reform of our cultural systems that tend to see the girl child as a marriageable commodity and a second class citizen.

Posted at 11:18 19 March 2008 by Grace Mutandwa  |  Comments[2]