Democracies that have thrived on feminine disempowerment within The African Union

Extract from Reginald Thabani Gola's Operation Save Africa Campaign: The Multi-National Silent Holocaust.

Democracy - as defined in the Dictionary of Contemporary English, New Edition for Advanced Learners, 2011, is a system of government in which every citizen in (the respective) country can vote or elect its government officials.

"... True development would only come after women had been afforded equal opportunities as their male counterparts. By coming together in this way, we hope to add our voices and recruit others along the wayto the growing international chorus that says clearly and unequivocally that women and girls deserve the same rights and opportunities as their fathers, brothers, sons and husbands ... " Charles Ray, US former ambassador to Zimbabwe.

Bye and large, The African Union has lost the true meaning of "democracy" and has continued to pay extreme lop-service to the gender-balance cause. My assertion is derived from the fact that even for the most notorious and primitive regimes the word "democracy" has remained as either their first or middle-name as a sorry attempt to cover-up for their inhuman footprints. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe has been found suitable, severally, to chair both The African Union (AU) and The Southern African Development Community (SADC)  despite his over 20 000 men, women and children holocaust of 1982 to 1987. Despite the fact that he (Mugabe) continues to suoerintend over the prevailing Zimbabwe health delivery holocaust. The holocaust takes over 35 000 infants per year with primary, district, provincial and national health institutions being kept incapacitated even to provide the most basic requirements such as water. Treated orbuntreated. Maternity cases having to be discharged with unwashed babies as recently hit the news headlines in the tiwn of Beit Bridge. And yet the first Lady, "Dr." Grace Mugabe boasts of a US $1.3 million diamond ring with the capacity to renovate and stock both Parirenyatwa and Gomo Central Hospitals. With mothers, children and other citizens going to hospitals as a short-cut to the graveyard as health institutions become sure death stations. Mugabe and family has continued to spend most of his quality time prestigiously floating in the air in jets chartered by a failed state. With his (Mugabe) well expressed anti-feminist attitude, has continued to command standing ovations in both The African Union and SADC platforms. Mugabe's reaction to his former first female Vice President, Dr. Joice Mujuru's lawful presidential aspirations would have reason enough for The African Union to sanction his ascedency to its most influential positions. Mugabe's acceptance of The African Union Chair also left Then Adminustrative, Chair, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in a state of shock due to its outrageous gender insensitivity. Mugabe was quoted by the government owned Herald as saying, "... A woman for that matter! Avekuti ndakuda kumbogarawo! (Aspires to take the presidency! A masculine position).  This has never happened in the history of ZANU PF!" Ironically, this most unfortunate utterance was made to great applause of an engendered audience. Song and dance by the ZANU PF Women'League. Mugabe went-on to replace the mother with two male Vice Presidents, Emerson Munangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko. In Zimbabwe's most grave moments, a ravaging cholera out-break and man-made most severe famine of 2006 to 2009, that put the funeral undertakers into big business and grace yards firced to move gial-posts, due to multitudes of deaths frim bith food stampedes and chokera deaths, the First Lady "Dr." Grace Mugabe, Zimbabwe's own version of Yhe Philipines' Imelda Marcis, wife of fir president, dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, never stopped her fashion hunt! She was spoted leaving Hong Kong's Shangrila 5 Star Hotel with her entourage billed at 2000 Pounds per night. A tiger that attacked South Africa's Sunday Times journalists who had taken photos of her aided by her body-guards. A failed police case due to her ("Dr." Grace) abused diplomatic immunity. A philanthropist of the highest order with crocodile tears by day and a most agressive and ruthless hyna by night, that eats and leaves zero exhibit. Ever-ready to spring and tear-apart any ambitious high-quality female that either  aspires or shows high credibility and potential to rise into higher office within ZANU PF. ZANU PF has a satanic legacy of unleashing women led by First Lady Grace Mugabe, to destroy women leaders within the party.  The infamous pull-her-down syndrome.

Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai Movement for Democratic Change's Women's Assembly, if ever it had the correct defination of democracy, would have long championed his (Tsvangirai) re-call. Tsvangirai's gross lack of presidential decorum, his proven open zip-closed mind approach! His looting of party membership card sales and membership fees proceeds for errant-bed-hoping escapades that know of no boundaries! US$300 000 once-off sexual settlement to a ZANU PF activist. Invasion of the ZANU PF female stable with party membership fees and card sales by a people surviving on less than a US dollar per day, in good will, good hope and good faith, would be a little worse as compared to Mugabe's chartered jets by a failed economy. The Tsvangirai Movement for Democratic Change Women'Assembly, so far has no cause to look forward to a democratic dispensation when he (Tsvangirai) gets the keys to State House. The favoured horse has displayed high propensity for sweet things! Corruption unlimited and very low leasership acumen. Zero vision! Zero wisdom and a gross lack of tact. He behaves like a poorly groomed school boy from an ambusive family back-ground fevered by the high desire to make-up for the lost. Surprisingly, with all the most devastating exposure, the same women are out upon Mugabe and ZANU PF to usher-in a vacuum of greater magnitude upon another vacuum. And learns (Tsvangirai) nothing from the biblical Samson who has a concubine, Delila, drafted upon him on a mission upon him by his (Samson's) enemies and surely they got him.

Just as the ruling African National Congress of South Africa's Women's League that vows to defend infamous, liability and incompetent sitting president, Jacob Zuma, with their buttocks, as African National Cobgress Member if Parliament and Minister of Water abd Sanitation told parliamebt in defence of Zuma. And yet they rose like a pack of starved wolves upon fellow woman struggle stalwart, Winnie Mandikizela-Mandela, whose footprint features mist prominently in every part of the revolution. This was despite tge fact that she neuther had a Nkandla of her own or a little Punjab with The Guptas and Bhanas. The women have conveniently joined partriarchy in the orocess of condemning her into the political dust-bin with zero return ticket. In Mugabe's Zimbabwe, Higher office remains her ("Dr." Grace) confirmed preserve. In South Africa, the ruling African National Congress Women's League shicked the demicratic world and feminine activists when its, then president, Angie Motsheka, pronounced that it had no caoacity to govern and therefore, would nit aspire to field a woman candidate for the top job. A Women's League that rose against Jacob Zuma's rape victim. Chased and denigrated her at home, on the streets and in the courts. Held all-night vigils  in the court-yard to effectively intimidate both the judiciary and the victim and her sympathisers. President Zuma, a man who has seen one nasty suicide, one divorce, one rape and one case of spousal poisoning within his Nkandla Homestead with such level of sex trafficking evidence but still continues to command an untainted reputation among the African National Congress Women's League when the eomen at Nkandla need an urgent rescue operation from Jacob Zuma's sex slavery. The women, thise in leadership take VIP seats as part of King Goodwill Zwelithini and King Mswati 111 Palace Sex Trafficking that manifests through the strip-tease annual Reed Dance where virgins are paraded to be selected by the despot at will with or without either personal or parental consent. The HIV positive King Mswati 111 who has exposed over twenty women to high risk. Thank God to the escapees who have left the sex slavery palaces. Some captured maidens as young as twelve. All this happens within The African Union with all its most ambitious high sounding programmes for the betterment of women and children that never get to rise beyond paper qualification. Mswati 111 presides over one of Africa's poorest economies but remains a most pronounced sped-thrift who took the delivery of a fleet of limousins for his 44th birthday and a Jet for his 45th birthday despite the fact that the Swazi girl-child remains as circumstancially compelled out of school due to the lack of sanitary towels as a result of excruciating national poverty.

One infamous war-lord called Joseph Kabila presides over a failed state of blood Chritianed "The Democratic Republic of Congo," a most practical human slaughter house to a devastating effect that has kept life most "brutal, nasty and short" for men, women and children. Psychological enslavement and brutal rape of women and the girl-child! Multitudes of child soldiers in the service of the various warlords. So was Francois Bozize's Central Africa Republic and Omar al- Bashir's Sudan. Foday Sankoh'Sierra Leone. Burundi's presideny Pierre Nkurunziza and Liberia under Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, Prince Yormie Johnson and Charles Taylor. And Uganda under General Idi Amin Dada up to the sitting president, Yoweri Museveni amongst multiple others. Perpetrators of the Rwabdan genocide were singing "democracy" despitevthe fact that brutality prevailed at unorecedented levels against the respective citizenry. Regimes have called themselves as democratic because ti them, cases ifvfeminicide would have become tio ordinary to ralk- about, even for the respective media. Feminine disempowerment, child rape, child labour and child prostitution and disease remain as five reigning inseparable trinities and development's worst enemies which remain prominent even inbthe so-called most stable democracies of The African Union.

The furst mark of real democracy, never achieved so far in all corners of the world, was genuine women power! The rise above the long mortgaged feminine authority! Gender equity! High quality life for women. Rise above window-dressing women power manifesting in the chosen few corruot and spouses of the ruling elite. The corrupt scheming of the chosen few women into, and out of, cosmetic leadership positions whimsically! Willy-nilly appointment and disappointment of women! Seat-warmers for favoured patriarchy toboerpetuate thecrespective dictayir's illegitimate hold on to power! Corrupt appointments whise job-card was to suppress legitimate women aspirations by other women as happened with Zimbabwe's learned "Dr." Grace latest attack on two accomplished women. Resident Minister for Bukawayo province, Nomthandazo Eunice Sandi Moyo and fire-brand ZANU PF Treaurer, Sally Mahoka. More accomplished as compared to a government typing pool typist with an academically maturbated doctorate from Professor Levi Nyagura's University of Zimbabwe! Change-drive remains in the hands of women themselves through authentic organisation. Women must rise and chamoion such over-due emancioation. Former Malawi first female Head of State, Dr  Joyce Banda, found herself schemed into the country's Vice Presidency for windiw-dressing purposes ti warm the seat for the then, incumbent, the late Sr. Bingu waMutharika's brother, now sitting president, Peter waMutharika. This was a most effective way of neutralising other male such presidential aspirants at the time. Dr. Joyce Banda faced an up-hill battle to constitutionally ascend to the presidency following the sudden death of Bingu waMutharika when women teamed-up with the agressor. This was at a most opportune moment of women solidarity that would have manifested through an all-women pour-out on to the streets in defence of gender sensitivity. Correcting the past. And Banda was eventually successfully schemed-out-of-power through a controversial election preceded by a massive public service salary service bureau scandal highly susoected ti have been stage-managed to make her unelectable by musculity.

The democratically illustrious Tanzabia, famous for smooth piwer transfer and no known electiral scandals failed to take tge kead in women empowerment when such grand opportunity manifested at the right time and year. The African Union Year of Women Empowerment and Development tiwards Africa's Agenda 2063. A stalwart nation in the development of African politics or pan-Africanism to be precise. The Octiber 25 elections were a most opportune moment for Tanzania'Chama Cha Mapinduzi to honour the lical girl-child by nomitating and installing a "mother" into State House. Thise four pedigree women who had thrown-in their hats for the top-job within the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in readiness to get musculine ackniwledgement and recognition were not only failed but embarrassed! Humiliated! And full contempt or dishonour of feminine talent by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi with such a wide choice.

Reputable women aspirants had declared interest. Asha-Rise Migiro, former Deputy Secretary-General of The United Nations, renowned scientist, Mwele Malecela, diplomat Amina Ali Salum and former Cabinet Minister, Monica Mbega would hace been representative enough to offer the resoective party, the electorate a most informed choice in line with The African Union's Year of Women Empowerment, a would have secured a pioneer position in The African Union gender transformation crusade which has so far failed to rise above the level of systematic lip-service. Women have got to get serious! Organise with lots of good will! Good hope! And good faith to drive this revolution whose time has long come. The time for African political institutions to make more deliberate moves in support of women potential in leadership is now. The neglext if women talent by Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi in 2015 passes as grossly inconsiderate, irresponsible and immesurable women abuse. The fact that Tanzania still opted to second former president, Jakaya Kikwete for The African Union Chairship when Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma chose not to seek a second term that would have been another opportunity to acknowledge feminicity tells more about the status of women on one of Africa's most stable democracies.

The African Union faces a challenge to fully position women for genuine authority. We petition The Almighty God to grant the women folk unlimited inspiration, extra-ordinary common-sense and energy to advance the cause of their resoective communities, countries, Africa and the world. Subdue the usual pack of femininecrabid wolves that Africa has kept in position to swiftly tear-apart fellow women talent and aspirations in the setvice of masculinity.

In South Africa, Dr. Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka could not go beyond the Vice Presidency. So did now sitting Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete, because there existed zero collective women aspirations within The African National Congress Women's League. The same authority that could have advanced such cause came-out guns-blazzing that the country was not as yet ready to carry a female presidency! Gross nonsense! If women single-handedly, could confront the seat of apartheid, a move that no man would ever dare to take to this very moment, as early as 1956, what would surely fail them at State House! One wonders if ever there could be any woman chief administrator worse than Jacob Zuma.

Botswana candidate to The African Union Chair, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, just as the Kenyan, both female, participated as mere gap-fillers as the out-come that prevailed had been predictable. The respective two countries remain as the most pronounced pan- Africanist deliquents. Botswana under its sitting liability president, Lt. General Ian Khama Seretse Khama, with a controversial honourary doctorate from an Asiatic instutution, South Korea's University of Konkuk, has broken the illustrious pan-Africanist record set by his predecessors. In The SADC and The AU, he remains as the least attending Head of State. The University of Konkuk citation upon Khama's award high-lights his out-standing leadership and active participation in the development of Africa. The entire citation, going by ground evidence, remains as highly controversial, if not fallacy in totality. Khama has unquestionably, failed his country, ruined his ruling Botswana Democratic Party which he had inherited in good order. Khama has forced The Botswana democratic Party to migrate there-by remaining with immigrants in a Botswana Democratic Party museum. The Botswana Democratic Party remains as one of Southetn Africa's most troubled former giant institutions that no longer hold the capacity to win any legitimate or free and fair election. Despite his proninent failures he (Khama) has gone on to award himself of the highest honour of the land, The Star of The Nation (Naledi Ya Botswana) dezpite the fact that The Botswana Democratic Party is at close-shop level with immeasurable resentment that has manifested in loss of local elections in its assumed strong-holds. It stands along with South Africa's African National Congress and Zimbabwe's ZANU PF. Khama has gone to war with students and The Trade Union Movement, the political nerve centre. When fights and abandons kids, an opportunity for monkeys and baboons to plays as competent surrogate mothers arises. Khama presides, like many African Union member states, over of a collapsed health delivery system which has sunk into a holocaust. With Khama's development of Africa, The Univerdity of Konkuk still has to walk through each of such developments for Africans to appreciate. But so far there exists zero such. These awards have lost their lustre. Ian Khama governs with a small group of the chosen corruot women used to oppress the majority, and, surely, he remains as the worst performer and the least literate of the four presidents. The African Union really has to do lots more of homework and desist from making wild proclamations that it remains as too far from accomplishing.