'Allow Mugabe to rule until he dies'

Zanu-PF Manicaland senator Judith Mawire has proposed that President Robert Mugabe must be allowed to rule for life in recognition of his role in the liberation of Zimbabwe.

Mawire was contributing to debate in Parliament on Wednesday on a motion by Midlands senator Lillian Timveous which called for the alignment of the Electoral Act to the Constitution to ensure the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's mandate is strengthened.

She digressed from the motion and said in celebrating International Women's Day, she supported the idea that Mugabe becomes life president.

"Mugabe must be life president because he freed all women who are now empowered and are free to do anything in this country," Mawire declared.

However, her suggestion had no takers as other senators continued to debate the motion.

Matabeleland South senator Sithembile Mlotshwa said the electoral environment in Zimbabwe was not yet conducive enough for womenfolk to freely participate in elections.

Mlotshwa said the Electoral Act needed to be amended and aligned to the new charter to enable women participation in elections.

"Rwanda is a good example where the constitution was aligned with the Electoral Act to ensure women are promoted," she said.

"As a result, women in Rwanda hold majority political positions through elections.

"If a country has bad electoral laws, women will not be empowered and their voices are drowned.

"If they do not have income, women are likely to depend on men and it decreases their chances of participating in elections."

Mlotshwa said the political atmosphere in the country did not enable women to form political parties that survive. She said as a result they were forced to join political parties formed by men.

The vocal legislator blasted fellow Zanu-PF female senators who last year rejected a proposal approved by the National Assembly that the International Women's Day be declared a national holiday.

MDC-T leader of the house, Thokozani Khupe had moved the motion, which was agreed to by all political parties.
But, when it went to Senate and was moved by Mlotshwa, Zanu-PF senators were whipped into line and voted against the proposal.

"Last year we moved a motion to have International Women's Day declared a holiday for women, but because women are afraid of men in their political parties, they were whipped into line and they threw away the motion," Mlotshwa said.