Clive Thabo Dube
ZIMBABWEANS now more than ever are petrified by the continuation of the ZANU- PF regime, more importantly the rule of males with little female quota in the political landscape.
Africa is a continent filled with patriarchal stereotypes in the ‘masculine’ politics field. Zimbabwe is no exception and should a female lead one of Britain’s oldest colony, the earths core will surely erupt.
Out of the 54 countries in Africa, less than 15 females have served as Presidents. Women’s ascendancy to the top political hierarchy is near but far and the marginalization of females to hold executive positions undermines democracy.
In Zimbabwe during the Mugabe dynasty, the late former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe foresaw the former ZANU-PF and Zimbabwe’s first female Vice President Joice ‘Teurai Ropa’ Mujuru as his successor. Amai Mujuru as she is affectionately known served in Mugabe’s presidium from 2004-2014 until the crocodile raised its head from beneath the waters and showed its teeth. This eventually led to the sacking of Mujuru from her post she held for a decade.
The former First Lady Grace Mugabe and the current President, Emmerson Mnangwagwa were now tipped to be the unfavorable successors. The plot of overthrowing Zimbabwe’s longest serving president, if examined closely with an eagle’s eye, Amai Mujuru was not in the thick of the mastermind.
Her ouster by some factions within the forever factional ruling party would have been motivated by the fact she was elevated to the post of Vice President by the late former President through unconstitutional means.
Mujuru inevitably went down, Grace Mugabe followed suit and the crocodile stood tall.
Leaving many to believe that she had been protected by Zimbabwe’s first black Army General and Zanu-PF self styled king Maker, her erstwhile late husband, Solomon Mujuru. The same happened with the former first lady Grace Mugabe as old age caught up with the former President, power slipped through her fingers.
Will females with political ambitions ever make it to the higher echelons of political power?
To decipher Zimbabwean politics is never an easy task, but what remains elusive is females holding executive authority.
The whole aftermath of dismantling the entire Mugabe regime saw more females (4) coming up to contest in politics. Evidently in 2018, Zimbabwe had its first ever biggest presidential candidacy turn out in the country’s election history (22).
Now with the 2023 harmonized elections closing in, a major shift has taken shape. Only eleven candidates will participate in the presidential race and only one female stepped up. The same individual echoed and called for the increment of nomination fee, an discriminatory act for the country’s constitution and most importantly a hindrance to aspiring female candidates. Many failed to come up with the prescribed funds, given the current economic crisis.
It is not surprising that only the privileged and belonging to the elite made their way to the presidential ballot paper.
Most females do not possess the financial clout yet Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chose to skyrocket the participation fees for presidential candidates much to the chagrin of aspiring females.
Those who wanted to be nominated as Presidential candidates were made to pay US$20,000 (R367,103) compared to US$1,000 (R18,355) in the 2018 elections to qualify for the 2023 run.
While those aspiring to be Members of Parliament were required to fork out US$1,000, up from $50 in 2018.
Leader of the Labour, Economists and African Democrats party (LEAD), Linda Tsungirirayi Masarira called upon Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to increase the nomination fees for the upcoming plebiscite slated for August 23, 2023.
Unfortunately for her, the internet does not forget.
“@ZECzim nomination fees for presidential candidates should be increased to at least 25k- 50 000usd or equivalent ZWL to limit the number of fly by night chances & opportunists causing confusion in the political economy by the unending mushrooming of briefcase political parties.” @ Linda Tsungirirayi Masarira
ZEC heeded her call, ironically she nearly failed to pay the required fees on time as the economic matrix played with exchange and banking procedures.
At some point Masarira had to send out an SOS in form of a begging bowl as she was failing to conjure up the wanted fees.
__Linda Tsungirirai Masarira @lilomatic
A special thank you to my Cdes and friends who assisted with funds. Having everything in place and ready for payment, I faced a new challenge of bank limits._
The presiding officer is saying her hands are tied, and payment is strictly in USD cash or ZWL cash or transfer. Now I am being prejudiced for having my local currency being limited to Zw$2 500 000 per month, which I can zipit and the limit for swipe is Zw$1 500 000.
@ZECzim is saying I can’t do RTGS transfer because they need the money by midnight today. At what point will we call for sanity in this country? I am still at nomination court waiting for a remedy to the quagmire that I am in.
The journey is never easy for women injuga. They will see us struggle, but they will never see us quit!
Grand theft, looks deliberate.
The exorbitant fees has barred many especially females to participate in this year’s election. However this is not the first time a female has stepped up to prevent her gender from gaining power.
Grace Mugabe fought and publicly humiliated Amai Joice Mujuru as she accused her and others of plotting to oust the then First Secretary and President of Zanu PF and the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe from being President through assassination.
The whole allegations tarnished Mujuru’s name and her political career.
The same manner Masarira called for nomination fees to be increased become detrimental to herself as well as many aspiring women candidates.
The United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) president Elizabeth Valerio was one of the affected presidential candidates.
“It’s been a tragic day!” she tweeted.
Valerio said her paperwork was done but her ZWL$138,531,528 payment was rejected.
“Told to produce US$20,000 cash payment to ZEC by midnight or be denied (despite having paid in full). You can guess the outcome.”
Many women aspire to become President but Zimbabwe is going backward in promoting woman into higher political offices. Doctor Thokozani Khuphe who was part of the four females who contested in the previous election under MDC- T has been a victim of some echelons of the electorate who blame her for costing Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa when she brokered away.
Khuphe garnered around 45, 000 votes which many believe would have guaranteed Chamisa the presidency in 2018. Alas!within a short period of time Khuphe was toppled by Douglas Mwonzora.
Now she is an underling to CCC leader Nelson Chamisa who narrowly lost the 2018 elections.
Being the ‘daughter’ of Mugabe, Mujuru almost became Zimbabwe’s first president. The only female who truly had a chance of holding the nations powerful post.
Now, males dominate the political playing field, the war meant to be battled without bloodshed. The incumbent Emmerson Mnangwagwa of ZANU-PF and Advocate Nelson Chamisa are the two front runners in the two horse race. The rest are viewed to be riding with the current President to split up votes, placing the opposition at a disadvantage.
Though other critics view the rulling party to be fictionalized than ever which will greatly affect ED’s chances of remaining in office, the coming in of Mugabe loyalist and self exiled Savior Kasukuwere who still has authoritative influence in the ruling party has split the power fist party.
Zim GBC News©2023