Where is your wife Jabulani Sibanda?

Where is your wife Jabulani Sibanda?
In a recent interview with the Daily News war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda claimed the ruling Zanu PF party had gone off the rails owing to "endemic nepotism and corruption".

According to the news article Sibanda went to claim that the party allocated most of the proportional representation parliamentary seats to those women whose husbands are in the top echelons of the party.

"If you look at our women, how many of them benefited from proportional representation? It is only wives of party big wigs because they are influential, at the expense of the ordinary women who are the genuine cadres of the party," Sibanda is quoted as having said.

The paper goes on to cite Umguza legislator Obert Mpofu who was joined by his wife Sikhanyisiwe in the august house through the women's quota. Tambudzani Mohadi, wife of Home Affairs minister, Kembo retained her position in parliament through the women's quota.

Zanu PF Secretary for legal affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa and deputy Foreign Affairs minister Christopher Mutsvangwa's wives, Auxillia and Monica respectively also got into the National Assembly through the women's quota.

Constance Tsomondo, wife to Zanu PF national political commissar Webster Shamu, is also cited as being the beneficial of the proportional representation.

It is not disputable Sibanda's leadership of the war veterans an affiliate organ to the ruling party has been sterling. It is an open secret that Sibanda kick started the campaign for the 2013 elections way back in 2009 through operation bhudiranai pachena at a time when some were becoming comfortable with the Inclusive Government arrangement. His loyalty to the party is not questionable, but he is off side on this one.

He has started a debate that he is going to regret. As he walks the breadth and width of this country rallying women to support the ruling party where would his wife be? In the comfort of his Nkulumane house! Even during meetings he addresses in Bulawayo no one has ever seen Sibanda being accompanied by his wife, yet he rallies other people's wives to fight for the cause of the party.

Sibanda's sentiments smacks of cheap politics also informed by the evil spirit of male chauvinism, that never believes in the strength of a woman. In Sibanda's world women can never define themselves unless aided by their male compatriot which is not true.

A close look at the history of Sikhanyisiwe, Monica, Auxillia and Tambudzani dismisses Sibanda's statement as being a male chauvinist who does not believe in the strength of women. He is a war veteran himself and so is Monica who could be even senior than him.

Why should Monica leave in the shadow of Chris when she independently and consciously joined the liberation struggle as a young girl at her own accord in the year 1976?

Sikhanyisiwe who became active in Zapu politics while doing her secondary education at Luveve in 1972 was to become the party's youngest councillor at independence in 1980. She was councillor for ward 9 in Victoria Falls Municipality. She is one of the country's longest serving councillors having relinquished her post as Umguza ward 9 councillor in the run up to the 2013 general elections.

Both Auxillia and Tambudzani have been with the party for a long time and where not dragged or forced by their husbands to become active members.

It is high time men accepts that women can also do it.