The expectations of urbanites dovetailed with those of villagers, suggesting the electorate has come of age and understands just what is at stake in the coming elections.
Jennet Hwenjere (46) from Chief Svosve area said she and many other women in her situation, wanted a society free of corruption, which respects the dignity of women.
“The corruption that has characterized the past decade exposed women to the worst forms of abuse by unscrupulous men. Acute commodity shortages left women breadwinners with no choice but sell their bodies in exchange for food. This left hapless girls and women pregnant and sometimes infected with sexually transmitted diseases.
“Since relief food distributions and access to grocery items at shops was a preserve for the politically well-connected, women had to compromise their womanhood and dignity in order to put food on the family table. This time around, the political process should accord people an opportunity to select a leadership capable of turning the economy around and fighting corruption,” she said.
Other women villagers concurred that mothers and girls continue to suffer most from institutionalised corruption.
Women vendors in Marondera said the coming elections must be violence free and should produce a credible result.
“Events leading to the ballot should not be characterised by violence. People must be guaranteed a free and safe ballot. Since stakes will be high, regional and global monitors and observers must be deployed well before the vote is cast. We do not want a repeat of the bloody June 2008 Presidential Election,” concurred the vendors.
They also said they wanted a Zimbabwe with equal opportunities.
“The elected leadership should put in place laws which improve the social, economic and political wellbeing of the people. Instead of criminalising vending activities, government at all levels must enact laws which protect and promote small informal business, such as street vending.
“Local authorities should not busy themselves with chasing vendors away from ‘undesignated’ vending points. They waste resources playing cat and mouse with these poor people who are desperately trying to earn a living. Those resources would be better channelled towards construction of shelters over vending stalls.”
The vendors said they had been forced into informal employment by government’s failure to create jobs and provide social welfare benefits. “Government should cushion the vulnerable from adverse effects of poverty” they said.
Tinos Hwema (45), a vendor and subsistence communal farmer from Murewa said: “The Zimbabwe I want should be people centred – with a leadership that provides for people from across the political divide without favour. Like a responsible father, government should equitably cater for all without any discrimination.
“Government programmes have to be properly timed. Farmers should receive subsidised agriculture inputs timeously. We as farmers are disturbed by distributions conducted in the middle of the farming season.”
Hwema said inputs should be distributed in a non partisan manner, since government is expected to conduct itself in an apolitical manner. “The electorate would vote into office a government capable of restoring back the country’s bread basket status. Important national projects such as land reform should indiscriminately benefit all citizens.”
Norman Mupfumi (55) of Chihota, Marondera West, said. “I want a Zimbabwe headed by a leader – not a ‘ruler’. Rulers are despotic by nature and will never lead people in a democratic manner. Zimbabwe needs democracy for it to develop and prosper.”
“How can the president direct most of the country’s resources towards development of infrastructure in his home area, Zvimba, while the rest of the country continues to be under-developed,” Mupfumi lamented.
He also claimed that MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, recently installed a modern pilot irrigation scheme at his home in Buhera, at a time when other parts of the country were threatened with the prospect of another bad harvest due to poor rains and lack of irrigation infrastructure.
“We expect coming elections to usher in a new generation of people centred leadership. Nepotism, racism, corruption, poor government initiated policies, violation of human rights among other social ills, should be a thing of the past,” said Mupfumi.
An elderly villager, Mbuya Marita Mhakwe of Murewa, said government should be sensitive to the plight of the elderly.
“We shoulder the burden of looking after orphaned children. We would expect government to channel part of the Aids Levy Fund towards welfare of orphans. Government should also create a welfare fund to cater for needs of the elderly.
“The elderly are regarded as senior citizens and should be regarded as such. They must be exempted from paying bus fare, rural village taxes and should be granted special treatment in most spheres of life. Above all they should have the right to life like everyone else,” she said.
Post published in: News