Cuttin’ the Crap n Facin’ Facts.
Chapter 46 ZimbabweWoman Show Thyself Phela!
BY Rejoice Ngwenya, Ruwa Zimbabwe
The show is over. Bucket seats flipped back. Popcorn packs discarded, if not already incinerated behind the proverbial political arena. The unthinkable happened. A black wolf of electoral satire, Donald Trump, is back at White House – second time around – defiant as ever. For me, Americans have shredded the only chance to showcase world leadership in gender equality. There is greater truth in his victory, far from the populist rhetoric of inflation and job creation, not even abortion rights or secure borders. I had just hoped in my lifetime, I would witness a woman USA president. But democracy is louder than wishes, brighter than last night’s dreams. Yet it is marginally sexist, totally blind to 21st century realities – just like your local church – that women make good leaders too.
Whatever you choose to say; whatever prism at your disposal – European voters are more enlightened than their counterparts across the Atlantic Ocean. Actually, Americans have proved – just like us primitive Africans – that they distrust – nay- hate women leaders. Europe has bragging rights over women leadership – Margeret Thatcher, Angela Merkel, Giorgia Meloni, Mette Frederiksen, Evika Siliņa, Ingrida Šimonytė, Nataša Pirc Musar, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Vjosa Osmani, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Borjana Krišto and Evika Siliņa. In Roberta Metsola and Christine Largade, the European Parliament and European Bank are led by powerful women, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they are up there on merit. Moreover, says Wikipedia, “Nordic and Baltic European countries have historically led the way in women’s inclusion in politics.”
Yet merit on its own is not enough to catapult a woman to State House. Take for instance Zimbabwe’s warped political primary election system. Were it based on national gender demographics; every political party would have had more women candidates than men. And so how is it that a party like Zanu.PF – MDCT and CCC for that matter – with so many women in their ‘grassroots structures’, invariably end up with male presidential candidates, ad infinitum? Moreover, even where we have other ‘smaller’ parties with women presidential candidates – UZA, LEAD – the likelihood of them ending up at State House (not as first lady housewives!) is next to zero.
With almost 40 years of high level, cutting edge, top shelf, world class gender activism in Zimbabwe, we are still at the stage where the only claim to fame by Elisabeth Valerio and Linda Masarira is electoral spite, even from fellow women. Joyce Mujuru and Thokozani Khupe barely made it past the political presidency main gate, but here we are, claiming ‘gender equality’ even with an audacious attempt at establishing a fully-fledged ‘ministry of women’s affairs’. Export quality bull(manure)!
The question being: who is to blame? The electoral system, we men, women, or community? Before I hazard an answer, I want to touch on the black woman latest Conservative Party Leader, the vivacious Kemi Badenoch. You see, in Margeret Thatcher and Theresa May, British voters proved their electoral sophistication beyond reasonable doubt. Thus, Kemi steps onto a trail paved with glittering precedence and fluorescent evidence of how easy it is to lead one of the most powerful countries in the Western Hemisphere. Yet that is half the race. Yes, the Brits accepted Iron Lady Thatcher and May as their leaders, but will ‘poor ol black Femi’ fit the prime ministerial bill? As Britain inches forward toward the next General Election, will the mental predisposition on racial squalor and anti-woman leader scum -the American disease – once more rear its ugly, fatal fangs?
Apparently in the States, black is not just beautiful (Naomi Cambell), it is also highly artistic (Beyonce) and exceptionally wealthy (Oprah Winfrey). Yet, with all that, American women ain’t good enough to be president. Am I surprised? No! Americans have shown the utmost in classical gender hypocrisy. By ‘refusing’ to send Kamala Harris to White House, American voters are no better than us, proverbial natives of Uzumba Marambapfungwe. Women haters of USA are no better than Marange cults who (mis)take 14-year-old girls for wives. The die is cast. Not in my lifetime.
And so, what are we Zimbabweans going to do about it? What lessons have women learned from the Kamala Harris debacle? How are they going to shift the gender imbalance to their favour in 2028? Luckily, I have an answer.
First of all, at this maiden period before 2028 elections, all presidential candidature – in Zanu-PF, MDCT, CCC and in Nelson Chamisa’s ‘future’ party – must already be angling towards women. I have never understood why political parties wield a bagful of explanations and excuses. The decision ought to be simple: “Our next presidential candidate will be a woman!” Of course, critics of my ‘declarative approach’ will argue it defies all logic that leadership must be by merit. Which brings me to my second suggestion. Regular political parties rely a lot on primary elections for electoral leadership positions. My experience is that there is truly little of merit that plays out in primary elections. It’s mainly a crude concoction of emotions, populism, proximity to hierarchy, money, and individual initiative. Yikho my ‘declarative approach’ should exploit gapping spaces for both quotas and affirmative action.
It also is something that we Zimbabwean citizens of all political divides need to commit ourselves to – a declaration that come 2028, we will support only a party that fields a credible woman presidential candidate. Gender equality at all levels is both an individual, family, community, provincial, regional, and national obligation. Women play a critical role in national development. They are the flag bearers of national conscience and related moral fabric. For once, let’s show the world we may be poor, but we take our women in high esteem.
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