Women must shave hair, dress shabbily to reduce HIV - MDC-T Senator

WOMEN should always have bald heads, lose weight and dress shabbily to reduce their attractiveness as part of measures to curb the spread of HIV, MDC-T Senator for Chikomo, Morgan Femai said yesterday. Addressing Zimbabwe Parliamentarians on an HIV sensitisation workshop here yesterday, Sen Femai proposed that women should also be circumcised. He said HIV is spreading at an alarming rate because men find it difficult to resist women because they are becoming more attractive.

"What I propose is that Government should come up with a law that compels women to have their heads clean-shaven like what the Apostolic sects do. We have never heard that those people (Apostolic sects) are promiscuous so the women should have their heads shaved. They should also not bath because that is what has caused all these problems (spread of HIV)," Sen Femai said.

On women circumcision, he said: "Women have got more moisture in their organs as compared to men so there is need to research on how to deal with that moisture because it is conducive for bacteria breeding. There should be a way to suck out that moisture."

The workshop was organised by the Zimbabwe Parliamentarians against HIV and Aids in conjunction with the National Aids Council, some UN agencies and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Sen Femai becomes the third MDC-T legislator to offer controversial and bizarre advice on how to curb the spread of HIV.

Another MDC-T Senator, Sithembile Mlotshwa (Matobo), recently said people should have sex once a month and that men should be injected with drugs that reduce their libido. She also called for prisoners to be given sex toys to quench their sexual needs.

Another MDC-T legislator Thabitha Khumalo is also at the forefront campaigning for the legalisation of prostitution and has vowed to assist commercial sex workers form a trade union to fight for their rights.

Meanwhile, Zipah chairperson Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T Kwekwe Central), said the organisation was established to promote Aids awareness among legislators and also encouraged voluntary testing among the lawmakers.

"The workshop is aimed at sensitising ourselves in the implementation of our objectives on curbing the spread of HIV and Aids and to ensure that members appreciate the response (to the pandemic) by Zimbabwe," he said.

Zimbabwe's HIV prevalence has been on the decline in the past decade and currently stands at around 14 percent from a high of over 30 percent.