Hey, women of Zimbabwe, defend one of your own!

IT was refreshing to see white commercial farmers mixing and mingling with the President last week. The President told the farmers that "you are part of us" and reports say the farmers were charmed by this stance.

Former Commercial Farmers Union President, Mr Nick Swanepoel told the President that his colleagues were failing to use the 99 year lease as a tradable document which they can use to borrow money. Ohh, really?

He also requested to have the white farming community included in making Zimbabwe succeed, to which President Mnangagwa said he wants a Zimbabwe where everyone is free.

Mr Swanepoel ended his presentation by wishing the President good luck in the 30 July election. Well, good move Mr Swanepoel, but the truth is that the President doesn't need luck on July 30. He needs votes. Standing with the President and posing for pictures with him is not enough. We hope the white commercial farmers will speak loud and clear on July 30.

Now to today's sermon. It's really sad that it took the first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mrs Mary Robinson to openly point out the sickening abuse of female commissioners in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission by little Chamisa and his hoodlums. Very sad!

Is it the patriarchal society that has socialized Zimbabweans into viewing women as punch bags? Little Chamisa and his hoodlums have been abusing the female commissioners with reckless abandon and as Zimbabweans we saw nothing wrong with it all.

ZEC chairwoman, Justice Priscilla Chigumba and Commissioner Mrs Netsai Mushonga have been on the receiving end of this abuse for quite some time.

Little Chamisa has discovered that he can't go into the political ring with President Mnangagwa and he thinks Justice Chigumba should be his punch bag.

With defeat imminent on July 30, little Chamisa thinks he has found a scapegoat in Justice Chigumba.

On the other hand, MDC Alliance hoodlums have been abusing Mrs Mushonga, sending her death threats and saying all manner of unprintable words.

When I read Mrs Mushonga's post on twitter last Friday, I felt sorry for the good lady. She wrote: "Its sexism where when you don't agree with a woman you throw unomutukirira with the h…word. Why can't we talk and argue and agree to disagree."

Clearly, this is a woman under duress calling out for help.

Thank God Mrs Robinson came at the right time. And thank God British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Catriona Laing has added her voice.

"Good to see this abuse being called out. It needs to stop," she posted on her twitter handle. Good going madam!

Little Chamisa and his hoodlums got away with this kind of abuse when they openly attacked Thokozani Khupe during the burial of Morgan Tsvangirai. In case you have forgotten dear congregants, this is what Khupe said after the attack:

"We have criminal sons who beat me and others. People must learn to respect the dead. As we arrived at the homestead we wanted to greet gogo but they called us names and said they will kill us.

". . . they beat us with stones, umbrellas and any items they could lay their hands on. They called us dissidents saying we should go back to Matabeleland. It was me, Douglas Mwonzora, Abednico Bhebhe, Lwazi Sibanda, and several other people. One stone hit me on my back. I am in pain as I speak right now.

"One man asked us to go into his hut. Those thugs threatened to burn the hut but we were lucky that it was raining and so the thatch could not catch the fire. They threw a burning log into the hamlet. If it was not raining, we were going to die. But I went back to attend the funeral to make sure that he (Tsvangirai) was laid to rest."

When Khupe made this statement, as Zimbabweans we quickly looked the other side. Kwanzi ndezvavo muMDC. Well, indeed ndezvavo in MDC but then the person behind those hoodlums is actually thinking of being this country's president.

If little Chamisa can allow those hoodlums to attack a defenceless woman now when he doesn't have the State machinery, what will he do when he gets into power?

The little boy wants to create a country in which rowdy youths beat up women?

Beating up women in their late 70s?

If you don't agree with little Chamisa then you are called all sorts of unprintable words.

Jessie Majoma was also a victim of this abuse and she left the MDC Alliance. This abuse has to stop.

But as a Bishop I want to know — where is the Women Action Group?

Where is the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association? Where is Musasa Project?

Where is the Campaign for Female Education?

Where is the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights? Where is the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe?

Where is Women and Land Rights in Zimbabwe and where is the Federation of African Women in the Media in Zimbabwe?

Where is my good sister the vocal Priscilla Misihairabwi?

Where is sister Fadzai Mahere? Hey good people, where are you mwanasikana achishungurudzwa?

Just a few days ago, little Chamisa was at it again inciting his hoodlums to go after Khupe.

Speaking at a rally in Karoi last Thursday, little Chamisa said: "I have heard they are people calling themselves MDC-T here.

There is no longer MDC-T. It has expired because it has outlived its usefulness…

"We told Khupe that you are wrong. She said she was to be president even of a burial society. We said to her you have demons. Beware of her, she has tried to rig the election, helping ZANU-PF. Don't vote for that party, her party is called MDC-Tokoloshe. If you vote for her, tokoloshes will terrorise you at your homes."

Why this politics of calling each other names?

Does little Chamisa know what it means to say someone has demons?

Who is he to say that?

Just because Khupe sees things differently, she is now being said to have demons? Tokoloshe?

What tokoloshe?

So what should those hoodlums do when they meet Khupe?

A Khupe who is said to have demons. A Khupe who is said to have a tokoloshe party.

Can't little Chamisa see he is inciting his supporters to attack Khupe?

While little Chamisa is inciting the abuse of women, ZANU-PF is preaching peace and love as we heard for the July 30 elections.

Following the blast at White City Stadium about a month ago, tempers were high but President Mnangagwa shocked many when he gave the following statement:

"This afternoon (Saturday) as we were leaving a wonderful rally in Bulawayo, there was an explosion on the stage. Several people were affected by the blast, and I have already been to visit them in the hospital. While we await further information, my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence.

"The campaign so far has been conducted in a free and peaceful environment, and we will not allow this cowardly act to get in our way as we move towards elections. Let us continue to be united and address our differences peacefully. The strongest response to violence is peace. The strongest response to hate is love."

The President could have chosen to use that incident to unleash violence on his enemies.

Actually some people whispered that he had stage-managed that incident to justify violence that he was about to unleash on the opposition supporters, but the President has since that time being preaching unity and non-violence.

Little Chamisa has to take a few notes from the President.

It's clear that the tide is against him in this election, but that is no justification to abuse women and that is no justification to unleash violence on those with opposition views.

Khupe has no demons and she has no tokoloshe. All she has are different views.

Thank God July 30 is fast approaching. This silly season is really getting out of hand.

Bishop is out!