Addressing hundreds of party supporters at an MDC- T Women’s Assembly rally at Unit L Hall in Chitungwiza yesterday, the Home Affairs co-Minister Theresa Makone urged the electorate to rally behind female politicians.
“Women are good leaders because they respect public funds. Taking stock of how female parliamentarians have utilised CDF, it is clear that female politicians respect public funds.
“If you give women power, they live up to expectations. Give them power and you will see the level of development that we are going to realise in this country,” added Makone.
Currently, the MDC- T has 11 female representatives in the House of Assembly. Out of the 99 seats that the party won in the 2008 elections, seven out of the party’s 24 senatorial positions are occupied by women representatives.
“Politics is not about degrees. You do not need to have a plethora of degrees to be a good leader. Politics is about ethics and good manners. Look at what those who have degrees have done to the country’s economy,” said Makone. She said women in leadership positions within the party had exhibited good leadership traits because “none had been implicated in any corruption-related scandals”.
The MDC- T Women’s Assembly boss said women should take advantage of their numbers and rally behind their female counterparts in the primaries “to ensure that women get 50/ 50 representation in leadership positions”.
She castigated the pull-her-down syndrome within party structures and urged women to support each other.
Makone criticised the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act and said “the exercise was derailing economic prosperity”.
“JUICE is the answer to the country’s woes because the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment exercise is benefitting Kasukuwere and his few friends. They are pocketing all the proceeds at the expense of the majority of Zimbabweans.”
Concerning members of the security forces, the Women’s Assembly boss revealed that not all police officers and soldiers were bad.
“We are saying to those involved in the extraction of mineral wealth, leave the security forces and concentrate on your mines. You cannot have it both ways. Choose what you want and follow that,” she said.
The rally was attended by the party’s district and provincial leadership and aspiring female candidates were introduced to the electorate.
Post published in: News