Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance statement on assault of Thokozani Khupe

It is in a bad mood accompanied by good faith that I prescribe this article seeking to touch on the nerves of targeted violence towards women on the Zimbabwean political landscape.

ZWIPA castigates and does not condone the most recent brutal and barbaric attack of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDCT) Vice President Thokozani Khupe together with the MDCT National Chairman and National Organiser recently at the MDC-T offices in Bulawayo over party misunderstandings and political differences.

Without any intention to meddle,dictate or intrude into private affairs of political parties in-particular the MDC~T,Im baffled,disturbed and equally angered by the physical attack of Ma Khupe.

The adoption of violence as an instrument of arbitrage is totally uncalled for, especially in a political terrain where most women shun political activities due to violent abuse, assault and physical manhandling.

Thokozani Khupe was elected in 2006 as Morgan Tsvangirai's deputy ahead of Getrude Mtombeni. Khupe, a veteran activist, former railway unionist and secretary of ZCTU Women's Advisory Council, was a founder member of the MDC.In 2000 she was elected MP for Mkokoba in Bulawayo a seat she retained in 2005 and further proved herself in 2008 when she humiliated Welshman Ncube for the same seat.

This vibrant MDC-T VP is a beacon of hope for most women detesting politics due to a rugged violent terrain and her attack is a rubber~ stamp to the seating perception.

In this patriachal society characterised by an institutinalised male dominace which has kept the state and status of women marginal, a handful have developed a thick skin to finally dismantle the monolith to its last pebble,instances of Joyce Mujuru and Thokozani Khupe who managed to squeeze their ways into the presidium of their respective parties.

The forceful landing at VP Khupe by suspected MDCT thugs who were totally out of their wits, ready to burn down the whole Harvest House while searching for a rat in a delapidated food cupboard, is not only an insult to the word democracy but a barricade to women participation in public affairs as well.The attack on Thokozani who is highly regarded by most young women as a torch bearer will only scare away possible women political participants, women have always been targets of political violence in the Zimbabwean much contested political terrain ,not to mention the likes of Grace Kwinjeh, Sekai Holland, Jessie Majome, Jestina Mukoko among a pool of so many other progressive women.

Noting Mugabe's violence to opponents including women as participants, its just natural for one to be bamboozled by the rubbing off of the very same devlish tenats by an aspiring alternative.

As Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance, we applaud the efforts to empower women through the bringing in of the Domestic Violence Act,the creation of a Ministry of Women Affairs and the signing in to various international treaties and conventions including Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),our greatest appeal is for the government, political parties and all other critical players to assure the translation of these into reality.

Linda T Masarira Human Rights activist and ZWIPA FNC
Masarira can be contacted on +263772118783, email lindat@zwipa.org